Finding The Haven
by Wandering Letters
Summary: A massive outbreak leaves most of their known world torn and teeming with the undead. A group of survivors try to find a safe haven from the rampaging undead created by Neo Umbrella. Pre-RE6 in a widespread outbreak. Cameos accepted. First chapter contains instructions.
1. Submission Rules

**(A/N): Hey guys! I'm gonna do something a little bit different this time. I got inspired by a good friend of mine so I thought I'd try my hand at it. This story is gonna be determined by you the public. Yes you guessed it, it's a signup story! After reading one written by my friend, I decided it'd be a good idea as it can help me get a lot of practice by writing from the perspectives of others rather than just characters I make up or that already have a predetermined role.**

**Here's how it's gonna work. Leave a review detailing your character. I'm gonna put a character sheet up below so you can have a good idea of what I'm looking for. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM and I'll do my best to answer you. I am accepting a maximum of 5-6 characters for this story. Just so you all know, my story has one thing in mind:**

**Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse. Bear in mind that this story takes place well into the apocalypse (like a few years into it).**

**I'm also gonna post a few polls so you guys can help me decide on how to approach this. I look forward to what you guys can come up with because I know there's a writer inside everyone on this site and I hope I can help you bring it out with this story :D**

**Character Sheet:**

**I'm gonna use a nice little figure to represent this. You are all baking a character cake and everything below is what you'll need to bake it.**

**UPDATE: I'm gonna disallow any heavy weapons from here on out. Sorry if it bursts your bubble :(**

**_UPDATE (16/6/12): The main cast has been decided but there are still 2 bonus slots left for anyone who still wants a part in the story_  
**

**Full Name: **_First and last name required. Middle name isn't necessary but adds some spice to the cake :)_

**Age:**_ Any age is welcome here. I've got no problems with children or elders though I will draw the line at too old to do anything or too young to do anything as well_ xD

**Nationality:** _For the love of god, don't make em all American -_- I want variety here!_

**Appearance: **_This is the icing and exterior of your cake. How does your character look? Scars or bruises? Is he or she attractive or not so much? Be as detailed as possible here and feel free to go overboard (without writing a novel please xD)_

**Height: **_Self explanatory :P_

**Weight:**_ Also self explanatory XP_

**Sex:** _Self explanatory x3_

**Personality:**_ The inside of your cake. Again feel free to go overboard here because this section is probably what I'm most interested in. Again, no novels please but I'll give you all some leeway in writing a lot in this section (cause it will ultimately determine how your characters are presented after all xD)_

**Brief History:**_ Your own unique blend of spices from all over the place. Where was your character from? Was he or she born during the apocalypse or before it? Throw in as much as you want here guys cause again it helps me think of how to portray your character._

**Occupation:**_ This is very important. Don't pick something that's too baddass like Rambo or War Hero or something. I'm looking mainly for the average joe type of person but I'll allow a few military style people in here but don't expect em all to be G.I Joe awesome._

**Weapons: **_Yes. Your cake has weapons xD. Your character is allowed a maximum of 4 weapons on them at all times. Small things like knives are fine and don't count toward the maximum (please dear god don't make them like Wesley Snipes from Blade 2 where his whole damn jacket was full of em xD) I'll allow firearms but don't expect for there to be ammo dropping like Resident Evil 5 on Casual difficulty. This is an apocalypse after all. Makeshift weapons are fine as well (Not ridiculous ones like laser swords or that kind of stuff xD)._

**Inventory: **_I'm positive that a lot of people are gonna want to add backpacks to their characters. It's perfectly fine to do so but don't fill it with enough stuff to feed a small army. It's well into the apocalypse so I can imagine characters stockpiling some stuff but please don't make it ridiculous that they can't carry it easily or something. Food, water, medical supplies are all good. In this story, I may be using a form of currency but that will be decided later._

**Unique Skills:**_ This part is what I'm probably gonna dread the most but I'll allow a maximum of TWO unique skills. Unique skills do not count for natural knowledge from things like occupations or experiences. For example, Mark used to be an engineering major and as such knows how things tick. Sarah used to be a pharmacist and as such has knowledge of drugs and how to use them effectively. Unique skills are things that your characters bring to the table that others do not. Now I'm not asking for godlike qualities like aimbot accuracy (as awesome as it sounds xD) but be creative guys!_

**Likes:**_ Spices for your cake :D_

**Dislikes: **_More spices for your cake ^_^_

**Opinion of other survivors:**_ I'm gonna ask you all to update this regularly as more characters get accepted. PM me with what you want their opinions to be of others and I will definitely make sure to update them here. Feel free to even add romantic feelings (if anyone has read what I write, I love writing about that kind of thing). Also I'm gonna ask that for any specific feelings, provide a reason!_

**If you want an example of a character sheet, check my profile for everyone's sheets. Use it as a template.**

**UPDATE: I will post all accepted characters on my profile page. Check it to see if you got accepted or not!**


	2. Diary Log 1

**(A/N): Here I am once again! I'm enjoying what you guys are posting so far and I'm totally looking forward to more! I'm just writing this cause my fingers have been itching xD **

**Please vote on those polls guys! I need the feedback to continue!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Shia Yuen**

_Diary Entry #10_

_July 16, 2013_

_We managed to find a relatively secure place where we can stay for a while. Big brother's been more serious as of late. Today he ended up having to clear the entire building of those things but he luckily did so unharmed. I don't know what I would do without him honestly. He's always been putting me first but for once, we had plenty of food and drink for us both._

_Takeda would usually give me all of the food and drink and go hungry if there was only enough for a single person. Sometimes I would try to share but he is so stubborn that it's useless to argue with him. Still...I know he's doing it because he wants what's best for me and also because he loves me so much._

_He's been dreaming a lot about Mom and Dad and he's gotten a lot less sleep but now, he finally allowed himself to take a nap. I managed to get the generator started so we have power inside the small motel. There's a gas station and also a small convenience store across from us and he went to get enough supplies for the night. He wanted to stand watch but I managed to hush him to sleep by singing for him. He loved hearing me sing and it was probably the only thing I could think of that could put his mind at ease...at least temporarily. He asked me to wake him up in three hours and with the power on and my books on hand, I could definitely stay awake especially since I'm not very tired at the moment. Despite me being awake, he barricaded the door to our room for additional precautions._

_All in all...I feel safe with him. I hope we can find others who aren't infected with this virus...I'm beginning to miss the company of others and big brother needs others besides me to get over his hatred for strangers...after that attack by those hostile survivors. One of the men tried to rape me and he killed every single one of them though he got slashed across the chest by a machete. Thankfully, I was able to repair most of the damage with the first aid kit thanks to my studies but the scar was still there as a permanent reminder that I need to become stronger so I can help him more..._

_That's it for now...until next time. I need to think of where to go next or at least come up with some ideas to discuss with him when he wakes up. The map says that there's a dock not too far from here and also an airport. However, we could stay here for a while because we have all we need to survive for now..._

_I got a lot of thinking to do..._

_Shia Yuen._


	3. The William Twins

**(A/N): Alrighty guys! Here's the first chapter. The story doesn't officially begin until the entire main cast has been selected but I'm gonna start with what I already accepted! I'm really excited about this chapter because this is my very first time attempting action in a story! I hope you all enjoy this! :)**

**Please vote on those polls guys! It's very important and also get your submissions in! I'm not going to begin the true story until I get a main cast of 7 or 8 survivors!**

* * *

**Chapter One: The William Twins**

"Big brother?"

He looked up from his meditative state to see his sister at the table looking at a cookbook.

"Yeah sis?" he replied.  
"What do you want to eat today?" she asked with a smile.

He rose to his feet and smiled as he walked over to her.

"Surprise me," he replied as he affectionately rubbed her head.

She responded with a warm hug which he returned. She released him and began to boil a pot of water. Takeda looked around for a bottle of water but to both his astonishment and horror, there wasn't any left in the room.

"Shia...I have to go out and get more water because we're out," he said.

The girl's face turned to a deep frown and was radiant with worry. He comforted her with a hug.

"I'll be right back...I promise...ok?" he said.  
"I'm coming with you," she said sternly.

His face showed just how much he detested the idea.

"It's not safe for you out there," he said sternly.  
"Neither for you," she replied with an equally stern voice.

He sighed deeply.

"Look...I don't want anything to happen to you...you know that I'm doing this for your own good," he said.

She was adamant.

"I'm tired of being helpless Takeda, I want to help and besides, we can carry a lot more back if we both go," she said.

He sighed again; she was right about that. If they both went, they probably wouldn't need to go back to the store for another week or two. He gave up.

"Ok let's go but if there's any of those things, you run without a second thought, got it?" he said.

She nodded as they took their precautions of locking the room and securing their entrance to the building with the barricade. Takeda had cleared the majority of the building and thanks to the motel being on the outskirts of the town, there wasn't much infected around the place. In his previous trips to the convenience store, he killed every single zombie he could which made the trips much safer but every now and again, there would be one or two. He figured out how to ensure they were dead, usually by decapitation or by severe trauma to the brain with the nearest object. He needed to find some time to renew the sword he carried. He gave his sister the handgun before telling her to follow him closely.  
They approached the store and much to his horror, the door was open. He knew he locked it with the key before so someone must've picked the lock.

"Stay behind me," he ordered.

She nodded before handing him the gun upon seeing him hold out his hand behind him. As they neared the store, screams were heard. They swiftly but cautiously made their way inside, hiding behind the shelves. They saw a sight that was positively sickening to see. A man lay on the floor seemingly unconscious while another watched one of the undead try to eat a woman. The woman was screaming loudly while the man laughed in an almost psychotic state.

"This is why you don't come on my property you fucking ticks! Find your own supplies!" he said with a sneer.

Thinking quickly, Takeda shot the zombie directly in the back of the head before throwing the gun to Shia and unsheathing his sword before pointing it at the man's throat. The zombie dropped to the floor and the woman looked towards her savior.

"You sick bastard...what kind of human being does this?" he said with a cold tone.  
"Put the fucking gun away kid, you can't kill me! You don't have the balls to!" he said.

He surprisingly shoved the sword away from his throat before launching a punch at him. Takeda sidestepped it before letting the sword drift in his hand to a reverse grip and slashing the man directly across the back of his neck. Before the man could turn to attack again, Takeda fired a devastating kick to his head, knocking him to the floor. With an emotionless look on his face, Takeda ended his life by stabbing him in the heart. He looked at the woman who stared at him in shock. He whipped the blood off his sword before sheathing it and motioning for his sister to come forward.

"Check on the man over there, I think he's unconscious," he requested politely.

Shia obeyed him as he began to search for the water they needed. The woman rushed to the man's side with deep worry.

"Is he alright?" she asked.  
"From what I can tell, he was just knocked unconscious; he'll be fine in a few hours," she replied.

The woman sighed in relief.

"My name is Jessica Williams," she said.

Shia smiled.

"Shia Yuen," she replied.  
"Shia? As in Shia Labeouf?" she teased.

She laughed at her comment.

"No, you pronounce it like you would she but an A to the end," she replied.

Jessica nodded. Takeda returned with two crates of bottled water. His eyes hovered over Jessica for a few seconds. Shia knew immediately that he found her quite attractive but now was hardly the time for hitting on women.

"Big brother? Can they come and stay with us?" she asked.

Jessica looked at him before looking at his sword and gun. She definitely didn't like that he was so heavily armed and considering the way he just killed that man with no remorse, there was even less trust.

"There are other rooms at the motel we're staying at so I suppose they can stay there if they wish," he said folding his arms and looking away.

Shia sighed at her brother's tone and attitude.

"Who is this man?" she asked.  
"He's my twin brother Daniel," she replied.

Takeda turned to the door and noticed several zombies gathering there. They must've noticed the gunshot.

"Wake him up, we need to go," he said as he put down the water and once again drew his sword.

He picked up the machete the man dropped when he killed him and moved towards the door. Shia knew she had to act quickly otherwise she'd risk them getting overrun.

"I'll help him," said Jessica.

She took out a handgun.

"Bad idea, you'll attract more of them," said Shia.

Jessica cursed under her breath before looking around for a melee weapon. She managed to find a crowbar behind the counter and quickly picked it up before running off to help Takeda. Shia quickly got to work in getting Daniel conscious again. She applied pressure to a part of his neck before wetting his face with some water. He jolted right awake, gasping for air.

"Where's my sister?" he asked in a panicked state.  
"Right here," replied Jessica.

They had already killed all six of the zombies that were at the door and had returned. Takeda handed the machete to Daniel.

"I suggest you pack up quickly so we can get to the motel where it's safe," he said sternly.

He walked away to get more water due to the now increased number of people. He returned with another two crates.

"Jessica, you look like a much better shot than me so you watch out for Shia, I'll carry the water while she leads us to the motel," he said.  
"I'm a better shot than her," said Daniel with a smirk on his face.

Takeda's mouth curved into a slight smile before he tossed him his handgun.

"You do that too then," he replied.

He grabbed the crates in his arms. Jessica and Daniel quickly gathered their belongings along with packing extra supplies before slinging the backpacks over their backs. Shia volunteered to carry Jessica's bag as it was too big for her to effectively shoot with it on. She smiled at her kindness.

"Let's move," said Takeda.

They moved as swiftly as possible, thankfully encountering only one or two of the undead. Takeda made sure to lock the door to the store before he left. They made it to the motel but to their horror, five zombies were shambling around the entrance. Jessica carefully aimed her shots before squeezing the trigger efficiently at each of their heads. She managed to take all five of them down with the same clip. Daniel had an unamused look on his face.

"I doubt you're the better shout anymore Danny," she said with a smile.

They quickly made their way into the room after Takeda directed them how to barricade the entrance. He put the crates down and sighed in exhaustion. Shia looked at her brother before hugging him.

"I'm fine Shia..." he said softly.  
"Don't go off fighting so many of them by yourself again...you had me so worried," she sobbed into his chest.

He smiled slightly before hugging her back.

"Alright, I promise I won't," he said.  
"Nice place you got here," said Jessica.

She put her backpack down and walked around the room.

"You think it'd be better if we just took a mattress from another room and slept in here?" she asked.

Takeda nodded. Jessica and Daniel walked outside and soon returned with two mattresses along with pillows and blankets.

"We should turn in and get some rest," said Jessica to her brother.  
"How did you guys get there?" asked Shia.  
"We followed a road from our last rest spot but it was starting to become overrun," explained Daniel.

Shia returned to the stove.

"I'm making pasta for everyone," she said with a smile.  
"Guess we can stay awake a while; I'm starved!" said Jessica with enthusiasm.

Shia looked to her brother to see his eyes closed. She sighed once more as she continued to cook food for everyone who was awake.

**Several Hours Later**

Takeda woke up to see everyone else asleep except Jessica. I watched her silently in the corner he had sat down in. He saw her looking towards the lantern she had on before peering down into a book. He could hear her almost inaudibly speaking. He imagined she was trying to calm her nerves after the traumatic experience she had in the convenience store. He examined her features.

She had long, light brown hair with black highlights. It was let out completely before he went to sleep but she must've pinned it up into a bun at some point during his nap. She had blue eyes like the endless sky whose gaze could pierce into one's soul. She removed her black long sleeve shirt and the violet vest, replacing it with a black tanktop obviously due to the increased heat in the room. She removed her black cargo pants and replaced them with a medium length pair of black pajama pants and her combat boots lay at the door where she removed them along with her black gloves which were draped over the boots. He had to admit; she was a very attractive woman but now was hardly the time to be admiring the sights.

"Are you alright?" he asked suddenly.

She turned around with her eyes slightly widened but she calmed down upon noticing his gentle gaze unlike the previous one which was somewhat hostile.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

Takeda shook his head and she sighed in what seemed to be relief.

"I don't get a lot of sleep nowadays because I keep thinking about the hellhole that's now the world as we know it," she said in a worried tone.

Takeda understood her worry, especially since she and her brother were almost killed by that psychopath in the convenience store.

"I've never felt so helpless in my entire life..." she said.  
"I take it you were in the army at some point," he asked as he pointed at her attire by the door.  
"Yeah...both me and Danny were in it, same unit actually," she replied.  
"What happened to you two?" he asked.

She looked down in what could only be described as deep regret.

"I was born in Indiana and I lived just outside Raccoon City when the first outbreak took place. This time...the outbreak seemed to be all over the globe and...I saw my mother turn into one of those...things...Danny and I ran away from home and we've been on the road ever since," she explained.  
"You saw everything happen before your eyes...I know what that's like," he said looking out the window.  
"You and Shia had the same thing?" she asked.  
"My father was infected and he bit my mother...I had to take them both down to protect Shia," he replied looking at his sleeping sister.

He put a hand on her hair and rubbed it gently.

"She means the world to me...I'd do anything to keep her safe," he said with determination evident in his voice.

Jessica nodded at him.

"You're a good man Takeda; anyone who would risk it all to protect his family is a good man in my book," she complimented.

He was silent for a moment before he smiled.

"Thank you now you get some rest, I'll keep watch," he said.

Jessica nodded and obeyed him as she lay on the other unused mattress. Taking his sword and gun in hand, Takeda sat where he could see clearly through the window, now with new determination that he had to protect everyone in this room including his sister. For once, there was hope for others.


	4. Diary Log 2

**(A/N): Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Here's another little filler for all of you!**

**If you guys were paying attention last chapter, you'll know exactly what this is!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Jessica Williams**

**Diary Entry #5**

****_July 17th 2013_

_Danny and I met up with two survivors today after our close call in the convenience store. That's the last time I decide to follow Danny into a dark ass store for supplies we could've done without..._

_One of the survivors was a really pretty young girl named Shia Yuen. She is the epitome of sweet! She went through the trouble of cooking us all food by herself, refusing all manner of assistance no matter how hard I tried. She reminds me so much of mom despite her really young age. I'm glad to have met up with her because I know surviving with be a heck of a lot easier with her around, not to mention more fun and tolerable; lord knows Danny can get a bit annoying at times._

_Then there was her older brother Takeda. I had to admit he was pretty handsome and stuff but there's just something about his attitude that I don't like. Don't get me wrong when I say I respect him and the way he treats his little sister. I know for a fact that he would tear the sky down to keep her safe if that's what it would take and he wouldn't hesitate for a second. However...there's just something about him that irks me. The fact that he's so armed with that sword (which he **for damn** sure knows how to use) and that gun (which he is surprisingly accurate with) just makes me so suspicious of him. I had no idea why I distrusted him considering he saved both Danny and I and he really didn't have to..._

_He just woke up and for some reason...I was positive he was checking me out but in his own sort of way. I have to admit I feel it for him when he told me about his parents along with what he and Shia have went through...I knew exactly how it felt to lose parents. It's a nightmare that robs me of countless hours of sleep. However...he said he would keep watch for the night so I guess I can finally get some needed rest..._

_I'm sure we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow considering the markings I saw on Shia's map. Then again...maybe we can discuss where we'll go together as a group._

_Don't know when I'll be writing in this again...but until next time._

_Jessie._


	5. Diary Log 3

**(A/N): Again another filler as I wait for the cast to get full. Gonna start asking for some more detailed comments from here on out and any ideas you think you guys could be interesting for the story. Send me all of them in a PM! I'm gonna try and keep these logs up so you guys can sort of get everything from everyone's perspective as it truly goes on. You guys are gonna get logs from every character in the story but most notably Shia (she's the youngest in the group so I figure it'd be most interesting).**

**Loving your characters guys so keep em coming! By the way, I figured I'd make this perfectly clear. I am no longer accepting any military-eqsue people. Slots are taken. Impress me with more stuff and who knows, your character may just end up here! At the moment, I have a cast of six characters. I'll accept 2 or 3 more so get cracking you guys!**

**Anyway, enjoy the log!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Takeda Yuen**

**Diary Entry #1**

_July 18th 2013_

_I guess I'll try leaving a entries every now and then and I suppose now would've been as good a time as any to start. It was quite a while since Jessica and the others have been asleep. Thankfully there wasn't any more of those monsters and at this point I was thankful that I cleared the majority of them. I really need to find something to renew mother's sword...it's beginning to get dull._

_The two survivors that joined us will hopefully pull their weight as time goes by and I'm certainly hoping that we can get moving soon because I know that the longer we stay here the less chance we have of running into other people. I was highly considering between the Airport or to head towards the large supermarket in town for supplies for the long trips because Shia and I usually only carried enough supplies for just her and myself. Jessica wasn't much of eaterrout that brother of hers was a completely different story. I was quite thankful that we found them; more company means we have a better shot at survival and what makes it even better is that they're ex-military and therefore, not a bunch of idiots._

_There's something about those twins I like a lot. I suppose it was because I know how it is to have a sibling though Jessica seemed to be the more capable one of the two. I respect them both, especially Jessica; I never would've foreseen a military girl being so ridiculously attractive but also so capable of holding her own. The two of them must've gotten ambushed in that store because there's no way that man took them head on and won. Hopefully, they won't disappoint me or Shia. Speaking of her..._

_Shia made a very good point today about her not being helpless and I have to try and let myself be open to her ideas more often. Sometimes I just enter tunnel vision where the only thing that matters to me is her safety. I have to try and stop treating her like a little kid because she certainly is growing up. I'm so proud of her and I'm sure both our parents would be proud of who she's become._

_Hopefully we can decide on where we are gonna go soon. Maybe we can spend a day or two more here before we head out after taking a vote. Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me._

_Takeda Yuen_


	6. En Route To Gainswood Airport

**(A/N): Time to start the log rolling!**

**Enjoy my readers!**

* * *

**Chapter Two: En Route To Gainswood Airport**

"So it's settled then," said Daniel.

Takeda rose to his feet.

"We'll leave in 15 minutes so we can make the trip while there's still daylight," said Jessica.

Takeda nodded before waking his sister up. She smiled at him and hugged him.

"Morning sis...we gotta pack up cause we're gonna be heading for the airport," said Takeda.

Shia raised an eyebrow.

"Why there?" she asked confused.

"Jessica knows how to fly a plane and a helicopter so if we manage to find one of them we can cover much more ground," he explained.

"But...there's going to be a ton of those things gathering there...I just know it," she said with depression evident in her voice.

Takeda hugged her tightly.

"Nothing is going to happen to you or anyone, I'll make sure of it," he said with determination.

Shia didn't seem convinced until her brother gave her a reassuring look. She smiled at him and went to pack her things.

"Takeda," said Jessica.

He turned to look at her.

"Do you think it'd be a good idea for us to try and find a vehicle in the parking lot that can get us there?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Saves us a lot of time, you know how to hotwire a car?" he asked.

"I do," said Daniel with a wink.

Takeda smiled and continued to pack. The group then moved towards the parking lot. Much to their liking, the parking lot had quite a number of vehicles still in there. They searched for something large enough to carry their supplies and to fit them comfortably. They spotted a violet Honda CRV parked towards the other end but to their horror, the zombies gathered around it as if trying to get inside. From the looks of it, the car hadn't been there for very long and someone had to be inside for the zombies to be going at it so avidly. Takeda turned to Jessica but she held up a hand and motioned her brother to follow her. Takeda smiled and watched them closely. The William Twins lured the zombies away from the CRV before opening fire with their weapons. The dozen zombies dropped like flies meeting a shock lamp though when they had to reload there were still six of them left.

Takeda rushed to their side, leaping over the cars in an effort to get there faster but to his surprise, a woman opened the door of the CRV and took care of the zombies herself with what seemed to be a UMP submachine gun. He holstered his handgun before taking Shia's hand and leading her cautiously to the woman.

"Thank you for helping me...I dunno what I would've done without you lot," she said.

An unmistakable Irish accent was evident in her voice.

"Angela Khris at your service," she said politely.

The group introduced themselves one at a time before informing her of their intended destination. She smiled brightly at them and looked down at Shia before looking at Takeda.

"This guy's your brother eh? You're a fast kid," she said.

Takeda rolled his eyes but the smile on his face proved that he appreciated the compliment.

"Your sister's a pretty girl kid, she'd have men swarming her once she comes of age," said Angela.

Shia blushed at their compliment as she turned to the William Twins.

"Who's the older sibling?" she asked.

Jessica pointed at herself.

"You got swarmed by guys in the military didn't ya? No way in hell you didn't cause you look fit for that America's Next Top Model show! Wish I could say the same about your brother though," she said.

Jessica blushed furiously at her compliment and laughed at her insult to Daniel. Takeda's eyes hovered over her for a few seconds before he turned away disinterested.

"Haters gonna hate," said Daniel raising a hand.

Angela then got serious.

"Gainswood Airport was just where I was heading as well but those zombies crowded around not 15 minutes ago after I stopped her to take a nap," she explained.

She motioned for them to get into the car as they loaded their luggage. Daniel childishly called shotgun as his sister rolled her eyes but gave him a playful smack to the back of the head. Takeda and Shia climbed into the back and Jessica took a seat beside him.

"Alright then so off to the airport we go!" said Angela.

"Is the gas tank full?" asked Takeda.

Angela looked down to see half a tank.

"I would say refill it at the gas station around the corner before we leave," said Daniel.

Angela nodded before turning into the gas station. She started to fill the tank.

"Big brother? Can we get some cold drinks from inside? It's gonna be a three hour drive to the airport," asked Shia.

He smiled and nodded.

"I'll go with you bro," said Daniel.

Takeda looked at Jessica before looking back at his sister. He seemed to be very hesitant to say what he was about to say.

"Stay with Jessica and don't leave her side for a minute," he ordered.

There was obvious demand in his voice but he was gentle about it. Jessica smiled before Shia snuggled up beside her. Takeda and Daniel informed Angela before moving towards the inside. It was for the most part abandoned and there were no zombies in sight. With sighs of relief, they filled a few bags with snacks and drinks before returning the the CRV. After getting back in, they shared the food and drink out between everyone. Shia was happy to see that her brother remembered her favorite chocolate bar as he handed it to her along with an ice cold bottle of water. She was so thankful she figured out how to start the large generators when they first arrived.

"Alright, Greenwood Airport here we come!" said Angela with a smile.

Everyone smiled in agreement as she started their three hour journey towards the aforementioned location.


	7. Diary Log 4

**(A/N): Another log for you guys. Waiting for some more submissions but I'm keeping these up to satiate everyone until the cast is complete.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Angela Khris**

**Diary Entry #26**

_July 18th 2013_

_I don't think I have had a closer call in my entire life. There hasn't been a point in my entire life where I've been happier to see people alive and also willing to help. I've never felt luckier. I know I've been writing in this thing for quite a while but there isn't a lot to do when you're on your own. It's crazy that I've found solace in doing this whenever I'm not singing random songs to myself to try and calm down._

_The other people who saved all seem like good people. That kid Takeda Yuen has such a good little sister that it's difficult to believe that they were cut from the same cloth. Shia is probably the sweetest person I've ever met in my entire life and she's been so nice to me ever since we met up. When that girl grows up, Her brother's gonna have a lot of work cut out for him if we ever find a non-infected town that has a teenaged population cause they're gonna flock to her like white on rice. Speaking of her brother wasn't as nice but he seemed to be happy that I was part of the group now. He's pretty cute but he's got a really cold aura around him that kind of pushes everyone away except his sister who seems to be immune to it. He really loves that girl though..._

_Those twin soldiers. I get such a kick out of teasing them. That Jessica girl? There's no freaking way that she wouldn't get offered to be on some TV show as a supermodel or something; she is just that damn pretty. The best thing about her is that she's 100% humble about herself and doesn't think she's better than anyone...well apart from her brother but hey, that's sibling rivalry for ya. Her brothers a good man as well and he's quite funny which is something we definitely need during this dark times._

_We arrived at the airport late due to having to find quite a few detours. Everyone but Takeda was asleep. I decided to do some scouting a few minutes ago. Shia's fears of there being many of those things was right. There were a great many of them around the main entrance. I began to lose hope but I managed to find a side entrance that didn't have much of them around. We'll be able to get inside in the morning when it's nice and bright out. I hoped the inside wasn't as bad as the outside but considering how everything has gone to hell? I didn't bear a lot of hope._

_Don't like being all depressing but really and truly...it was the sad reality of the situation. Will write again soon and constantly._

_Angie_


	8. Flight For Life

**(A/N): Alright everyone! I am proud to announce that Finding The Haven's main cast has officially been decided. Because youguys have been such great support and also because all of you have such creative minds, I'm gonna allow a lucky two more characters into the story. Keep submitting for your shot at this spot!**

**Im very happy to see that you guys have made this a great experience for me; your interest and enthusiasm has been nothing short of amazing and I am proud to present the first official story chapter of Finding The Haven!**

**Enjoy and thanks again for all the support!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Flight For Life**

"Everybody move!" shouted Jessica.

She continued to open fire on the oncoming zombies as everyone moved in quickly through the side entrance. Angela's previous scouting turned out to be fruitful as there was indeed an entrance to the airport that led directly to the runways though they had to move through two terminals before the reached. The zombies had gathered more around the side entrance. Takeda and Jessica covered everyone as Daniel move in first to ensure inside was clear. Upon his approval, everyone turned around to move inside until a loud thud was heard. Takeda turned around to see Jessica caught by the ankle by a zombie but unlike the rest of them, this one's skin was much redder than the others and it practically had claws. He quickly shot it in the head before picking Jessica up bridal style and dashing inside. She did not appreciate the carrying but she knew he did out of impulse to help her so she dropped it. Daniel took out a map as they sat down to catch their breath.

"According to this map of the airport, we're currently in the maintenance area of terminal 3...unfortunately terminal 3 only has the small aircraft that can hold maybe 3 people so in order to get to an aircraft large enough, we need to get to terminal 1 and take one of those," he explained.

Shia looked at him in disbelief that they had to fight their way through two more terminals.

"The terminals are bound to be crawling with those things," said Angela with anger evident in her tone.

"We don't have the firepower to make it two terminals...wait, check where the security room is, maybe there's some weapons and ammo in there that we can use," asked Jessica.

Daniel's eyes scoured the map but loud thuds against the door distracted him. Takeda looked through the peephole only to see at least 3 dozen zombies pounding on the door.

"This door won't hold for long, we need to move quickly," said Shia.

Takeda reloaded his gun and Angela checked to make sure both her weapons were loaded.

"There's a security room in terminal 1, we better get going now, follow me," he ordered.

Angela smiled at the young soldier; he was taking charge for once. They quickly moved through the exit and moved as swiftly as they could towards the room. The dead weren't far behind them with the same kind of red zombies practically running at them.

"Shit! When could these things run!" cursed Angela.

"No time to wonder, we have to move!" shouted Jessica as she fired at one of them.

Shia started to gasp for air and Takeda's face turned to pure horror. He quickly picked his sister up on his ban and continued to run. They arrived at the security room before quickly slamming the door shut and bolting it with the crimson zombies just missing them. Takeda put her down and quickly administered an asthma inhaler. She started to breath easier after a short while. She smiled at her brother and he hugged her close.

"The armory is behind that door," said Daniel pointing at a large black door.

Jessica looked in her backpack to find something that could help open the door until Angela revealed some lockpicking tools. She smiled brightly.

"Leave this to me princess," she said.

She quickly went to work while Jessica moved to the security cameras. She turned on all the monitors and much to her horror, almost all of the cameras showed hallways teeming with zombies. In one camera however, she noticed a man fighting them off along with a teenaged boy armed with an aluminum baseball bat.

"Guys check this out," she said.

Everyone looked and took immediate notice of the fighting pair. Angela cursed loudly when she was unable to pick the lock.

"This damn thing is ridiculous! Unlike anything I've ever picked before!" she cursed.

She noticed Takeda look at the door and as she was about to request some help, Takeda got a running start before spinning and kicking the door with such force, the hinges broke and it hanging half way down. He finished his work by slamming his foot on the remainder of the door, completely clearing the way. Angela looked at him, dumbfounded while Shia smiled at her brother's actions.

"Did you have to kick that hard big brother?" she asked.

He simply shook his head before turning on the lights in the armory. Everyone was thoroughly happy with what they saw. There were a few cabinets open with pistols and batons holstered in them and there was also three shelves that housed three submachine guns each with three clips below each of them. There was also two shotguns on the floor, presumably ending up there when the security had to rush to try and prevent the zombies from overwhelming them. Everyone happily armed themselves. Angela took another submachine gun and took six clips of ammo, Jessica took another pistol before holstering it on her waist and Daniel took one of the shotguns with an almost giddy look on his face.

"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" he said with a bright smile.

Takeda took another pistol before giving it to his sister.

"Remember everything I taught you on how to shoot," he said calmly.

She nodded slowly as he took another pistol and holstering it around his waist. After everyone was armed adequately and ammo was packed into their bags, everyone moved towards terminal 1 to try and help the man and the boy.

Surely enough, they were still fighting.

"There's no end to these fucking things!" shouted the man.

The boy had a look of fear on his face but said nothing. The group opened fire after shouting for the pair to take cover. They managed to gun down enough of them to clear a path for them to join the group.

"We can make introductions later but at the moment I think we need to get the fuck out of here," said the man.

The man had a strong British accent. The boy was still silent but nodded in agreement with his fellow. The group moved towards the exit to the runway but more zombies came at them upon reaching outside. There was at least thirty of them rushing towards them.

"There! That plane!" shouted Jessica.

Everyone rushed towards the large aircraft, gunning down as many of the zombies as possible but much to everyone's horror, Shia tripped. Takeda turned back to try and help her but to his surprise, the boy had turned and helped her up before kicking the zombie nearest to him, shattering its jaw and knocking it to the ground. Everyone boarded the plane and Jessica sprinted to the cockpit to try and get it started.

"Jessie! Make it fast cause we got a LOT of company!" shouted Daniel.

Jessica quickly took a seat in the chair and flicked various switches on, one of which closed the open door in which the group fired through to keep the zombies from getting on board.

"Everyone hang on! It's gonna be rough!" she said through the intercom.

She quickly brought the plane to life as she drove it to a runway. By now, the zombies had dwindled in number but were still mindlessly chasing the aircraft.

"Danny! Get in here I need you!" she said.

He ran to join her in the cockpit as he took the co-pilot seat. Everyone strapped themselves in as he ran off anticipating takeoff. After flickering a great many switches, they managed to get the plane into the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen thank you for choosing Air Williams! Please sit back, relax and enjoy not having gotten murdered and eaten by Olympic sprinting corpses," said Danny through the intercom.

With sighs of relief, everyone settled into their seats except Angela and Takeda who turned to look at the two new additions to the group. Angela's eyes widened when she noticed an unmistakable pin on the man's suit jacket as she raised a gun to his head.

"What the fuck is a member of Neo Umbrella doing here!" she screamed.


	9. Clearing The Air

**(A/N): Yes I know I update fast****! Yes I know I'm crazy but it's hard to stop wen you're on a writing high like I am now. Besides, I've got so much in mind for this story! Here's another chapter. This one's all about bonding so if you guys want to tell me anything you want to see between the characters, feel free to PM me!**

**Enjoy! And don't worry about the character slots. I'll update them tomorrow once I get on a computer (I've written this entire story on an iPod touch because I lack a computer at the moment xD). PM me with any questions or any extra stuff you want to discuss!**

**Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Clearing The Air**

"Answer me!" screamed Angela.

The boy got up as if to interfere but the man raised his hand, urging him to calm down.

"I'm not a member of Neo Umbrella, I used to be until I discovered their intent on another bioterrorist attack so I left," he explained.

Angela didn't lower the gun.

"My name is Berkley Stern, the boy with me is my brother Warren," he said raising his hands.

Angela had a scowl on her face before Takeda put a hand on her gun.

"Calm down Angela, if he wanted to kill us he could've done it already," he said as a matter of factly.

She slowly lowered the gun and Berkley sighed in relief.

"Now that I've introduced myself, how about you lot?" he asked.  
"Takeda Yuen," replied Takeda as he held out a hand which Berkley shook.

Shia got up from her seat and stood beside her brother.

"Shia...I'm Takeda's sister," she said.

Berkley had a smile on his face as he bowed to her politely.

"May I ask how old you are?" he began.  
"Sixteen," she replied.

Warren looked at her for a split second before returning his gaze to the seat back in front of him. Berkley sighed.

"Why is it that all the pretty ones have to be jailbait!" he growled.

He then turned to Angela.

"Angela Khris," she said as she very reluctantly held out a hand.

To her surprise, Berkley took her hand and politely kissed it. She found herself blushing involuntarily at this gesture but turned away before anyone could see the look on her face. Takeda's eyes hovered over Warren for a few seconds.

"Warren?" he said.

The boy looked at him. His black hoodie his the majority of his face though his eyes were able to be seen.

"Thank you...for saving my sister," he said.

Warren's mouth curved into a slight smile as he nodded.

"I take it those two in the cockpit are twins?" asked Berkley.  
"You would be right,"

Jessica walked into the aisle with her brother.

"The plane's got an auto pilot system but unfortunately we don't have a full tank of fuel so we need to figure out where we're going," said Daniel as he sat down in a chair.

Berkley's eyes widened into dinner plates upon laying eyes on the female soldier.

"And you are miss?" he asked.  
"Jessica Williams," she replied.

Berkley's face had a wide grin as he bowed to her.

"I'm Daniel,"  
"Pleasure to meet you mate," said Berkley.

Takeda noticed a glint in Berkley's eyes and he made a mental note to keep an eye on the self proclaimed "former member of Neo Umbrella".

Daniel opened a map and lay in on the floor.

"We left Gainswood here as we're currently heading north," he began.  
"At this rate we likely won't be able to reach another airport to refuel for a while so we may have to make a pit stop to refuel," said Berkley as he looked at the map.

He then pointed to a spot on the map that didn't seem to show anything.

"There's a military base here, they have an airport as well so it would be a good place for us to resupply and also to refuel the plane," he explained.  
"How do you know that?" asked Angela.  
"I'm a man who has been to many places my dear and having been with Neo Umbrella gives me knowledge that others can only dream of having," he replied in an almost stern tone.

Angela was silenced by his suddenly serious face.

"This plane will be able to house all of us, I'm actually quite thankful that we ran to this one because it does have beds and food on board," said Berkley.  
"We've got plenty of that," said Jessica as she pointed to the bags at the back of the aisle.

Berkley smiled brightly.

"I'll plot the course for the auto pilot system to head for that location, if I've got the numbers in my head right, we'll be there in about five hours," said Daniel as he rose to his feet.

He went back into the cockpit.

"Does this plane have a shower?" asked Shia.

Takeda pointed to the back and she smiled.

"Good...I could use one myself," said Jessica as she examined her bloodstained self.

The close calls with the zombies left her covered in blood but thankfully, none of it was her own. Takeda moved out of the way to allow the girls to go have a shower. Berkley went into a bedroom with Warren.

The plane was a British Airways airbus which was very well known for it's immense size and accommodations for its passengers. For once, fortune seemed to favor the group as they could travel and also relax. Takeda walked into another bedroom and sat down as he began to meditate once again. Daniel decided to take a shower in the other bathroom as the girls were using the the other one. Angela went into the last bedroom and began to write in her diary as she waited for a shower to be free.

**One Hour Later**

**Bedroom #1: Takeda and Shia's Room**

A door opening broke Takeda out of his meditative state and to his surprise, Jessica walked in with nothing but a towel on. She didn't seem to notice his presence as she bent down to retrieve clean clothes from her bag. Takeda, not able to bear the sight of her at the present moment, cleared his throat loudly. She turned to see him and her face turned into a red Christmas light.

"I'm sorry...I must've started meditating and lost track of the outside world," he said.

She couldn't believe that she saw a bright red blush on the previously hardened and cold Takeda Yuen.

"I-I-It's alright...I mean it's not like you intentionally stayed here..." she said rubbing the back of her head nervously.

She gathered her clothes before turning away to leave. She paused at the door before turning back to him.

"Takeda?" she began.

He looked back at her, his eyes curious as to what she wanted.

"Could you...teach me how to meditate?" she asked.

"Why?" he replied.

She looked down.

"I've been having so many nightmares that I don't know what else to try to calm myself down," she said.

He looked at her with his eyes widened; of all the people on the plane, she wanted _**his**_ help to take a load off? He examined her to see if she was toying with him.

Her long brown hair with the black highlights was now slightly wet. Her face was still red but she was now cleaned of all of the dirt and bloodstains that previously flaws her appearance. He detected no signs of her messing with him at all. He closed his eyes ad smiled slightly.

"Get changed and I'll show you," he replied finally.

"Aren't you going to take a shower? Danny's done with his," she said looking up at the ceiling.

He knew she was trying to tell him that he was dirty but not in an offensive way. He smiled brighter.

"After my shower then, give me ten minutes,"

She looked at him with a bright smile on her face as she nodded and left the room as he took his things to the shower.

**Bedroom #2: Berkley and Warren's Room**

"You feeling ok sport?" he asked.

"Yes..thanks for asking Mr. Stern," he replied.

Berkley put a hand on the boy's head.

"We're not alone anymore lad so you can stop being quiet all the time; these are good people," said Berkley.

Warren looked down.

"Takeda's sister is very pretty," he said.

Berkley tensed for a moment before suddenly grabbing him by the collar of his hoodie and silencing him with his hand over his mouth.

"Do you want that guy to come in and hear you? Keep your voice down you twit!" he said sternly. **(A/N: lol...puns)**

Warren closed his eyes as Berkley released him.

"Why did you risk revealing your powers at that moment?" he asked.

Warren sighed.

"I don't know...I just wanted to help her and I kind of just...did," he explained.

Berkley slapped his head.

"People can't find out about you or they'll kill us both...keep your powers to a minimum, got it?" he said.

Warren nodded and Berkley began to remove his suit.

"We need to keep our cool until we get to the base then we can ditch them," said Berkley.

Warren looked at him with an almost scornful look; he clearly didn't like that idea one bit. Berkley then climbed into his bed before turning his back to Warren.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm asleep," he warned.

Warren rose to his feet and walked out to find something to eat.

**Bedroom #3 Jessica, Daniel and Angela's Room**

"You're serious?" asked a laughing Angela.

Daniel finally managed to catch his breath.

"Yeah! I'm telling you! My squad mates were hands down the most fun bunch of idiots I've ever met," he said.

Angela couldn't help but laugh heartily at his stories.

"What's all the racket in here?" asked Jessica as she peeked inside.

Daniel looked at his sister.

"Just telling Angela about old times back in our outings with the guys," he said.

Jessica chuckled.

"Talking about how hilarious Marcus and Peter were?" she asked with a smile.

"Marcus and his ridiculously loud snores and Peter's hilarious habit of waking up with a jolt and falling out of his bunk at boot camp? No way in hell am I forgetting that shit!" he said.

Jessica laughed softly as she entered the room and dropped her bag inside before turning to leave.

"Where you going princess?" asked Angela.

"None of your business lady," she replied.

Angela chuckled.

"Gonna spend some quality time with Takeda aren't you?" she asked.

Jessica blushes and turned away.

"Don't get me wrong, that kid's cute and if I was a few years younger-" began Angela.

Jessica childishly covered her ears and left the room, causing both her brother and Angela to burst out laughing.

**In the Food Storage Closet**

Warren found a very nice looking sandwich in the cabinet and smiled to himself as he put it down with a cold bottle of soda. He then reached up and pulled out a box of Pop-Tarts, again much to his pleasure.

"Gonna eat that all by yourself?"

He turned to see none other than Shia. She smiled at him.

"I didn't get a chance to say thank you for the save earlier," she said.

"It's no problem," he replied as he sat down to eat.

Shia sat beside him and seemed as if she was in thought.

"I want to know...how you moved so fast," she said.

Warren paused his meal and looked down.

"I don't know what you're talking about; I ran as fast as I could to get to you and I made it," he explained.

"I've never seen anyone move so fast," she replied.

"Not everyone is a parkour athlete or a track and field star," he said.

Shia looked at him before nodding.

"Guess I was just seeing things," she said.

He inwardly sighed in relief but he felt guilty; he wanted to tell her everything but he knew was Berkley would do if anyone found out about his secret.

"Can I have one?" she asked as she reached for a Pop-Tart.

"Knock yourself out," he replied.

She smiled and started to eat. Warren paused for a short while before swallowing hard.

"May I ask...where you came from?" he asked.

Shia smiled and began to tell him about her times at home with her brother and her parents.

**Bedroom #1**

"You need to relax...I can feel a lot of stress and tension inside of you," he said as he held her hand.

"How can I...after all the shit that's happened?" she asked.

Takeda seemed to be in thought for a few seconds until he reached into his bag and pulled out some mediation beads. He then placed them in her hand.

"Think of the happiest moments of your life to ease yourself into it and once you find that happy place, focus on reality; there is nothing you could've done to prevent any of this from happening so none of it is your fault," he explained.

Jessica looked at him before nodding and attempting what he said. She closed her eyes and she felt him let go of her hands.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to change my shirt," he said softly.

She felt him get off the bed and she couldn't help put peek through the crack of her eyes. To bother her horror and astonishment, he removed his shirt to reveal a large scar across his chest. He was quite toned but the scar in his chest was definitely something that made her curious. He seemed to look at her before sighing deeply.

"I suppose you want to know about this," he asked.

She had no idea how he was able to tell her eyes were open.

"How did you-" she began.

"Your breathing was louder for a few seconds," he replied.

She sighed.

"I'm sorry..." she said.

"It's fine; I can't blame you for being curious," he said as he rejoined her on the bed.

She looked at him.

"May I see?" she asked.

He silently raised his shirt. Her hand ran across the large scar.

"What happened?" she asked.

"A group of men ambushed Shia and I on our way to the motel and I fought them off...all six of them," he replied.

He lowered his shirt.

"I wasn't fast enough to avoid one's cleaver and it got me there...Shia thankfully knows first aid and she managed to save me," he explained.

She looked down.

"She really is that important to you isn't she?" she asked.

"More than life itself," he replied.

She put a reassuring hand on his.

"You're a good person...not many people would do that for a sibling," she said.

For a few seconds, she saw his eyes soften and he smiled. Jessica turned away and to he surprise, she felt hands on her back.

"There's a problem; you're tense," he said.

She blushed immensely and for some reason, she liked the feel of his hands on her. Unlike before where she didn't trust him, she felt much more comfortable with him, especially after the close encounter with the crimson zombie.

"Do you know how to massage?" she asked.

"Yes I do," he replied.

She looked at him.

"If it's okay with you...could you? I'd ask Danny the last time he did it I couldn't lay down for a week," she said.

She got her response when his hands drew down the jacket that covered her shoulders, revealing the tanktop underneath.

"Lay down and don't move," he asked politely.

She obeyed him and allowed him to continue. She hadn't felt so relaxed in a very long time and she felt like soft clay in his skillful hands. Every now and then, he would warn her about a knot and that it would be painful but she didn't mind it at all; she was a soldier and she definitely experienced worse things. After a few minutes he was finished.

"Try again, use these to help you just like I showed you before," he said as she sat up.

She obeyed him and to her surprise, it was much easier to relax and focus. She looked at him with a smile. He responded with a smile of his own as he gripped his own beads.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Silence filled the aircraft for the rest of the time until Daniel's voice on the intercom broke her out of meditation.

"We're nearing the base everyone, get ready for landing," he said.

Four hours went by that quickly? Everyone dressed themselves and armed themselves as Daniel took the plane down to the runway. It was time to see if Berkley was right about the base being a temporary haven.


	10. Diary Log 5

**(A/N): This log is a gift to Bulma3678. Yes I know you're all giddy. Yes I know I work too hard but you guys have got me on a ROLL. I swear I haven't had so much fun in a long time with writing.**

**Anywho, have fun with this log guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #2: Jessica Williams**

**Diary Entry #6**

_July 19th 2013_

_Today was beyond weird...and I meant that in an extreme. Two more people joined our group but I found it incredibly odd that they just happened to be there at the right time in view of that security camera..._

_I feel a shiver run down my spine every time I look at that Berkley guy. Sure he was British and he seemed like a nice guy but I just have a very bad feeling about him. I can't put my finger on why he creeps me out so much; maybe it was because he was hitting on Angela and I when he just met us? I probably won't forget the look he gave me when he first saw me for weeks...at least he's a smart guy and if he really was a former member of Neo Umbrella then he could definitely be of help against those monsters; he'd know exactly how to kill them._

_The kid he was with though? I'm not sure about him. He saved Shia's life when we made that run to our plane but he's barely said a word in edgewise since he's been here. From what I can tell, he's just really shy and he seems to have an interest in Shia. I'll probably do Takeda the favor and keep an eye on her just in case._

_Speaking of Takeda...he really helped me today though it was a majorly awkward start; how the hell did I not notice he was in the room? He saw me in nothing but a towel but he was polite enough to not say anything about my immodesty. Anyways, he taught me some meditation techniques that really helped me clear my mind of all that's happened. What really surprised me was that I actually let him give me a massage. I still don't have a clue why I did; ordinarily I was a hard ass on men and like Danny used to say, "Jessie's as cold as a halibut when it comes to men and her"._

_I didn't really do dating thing in my high school life as it was mostly school and work with the military. Any guy who came up to me clearly only wanted me because they liked what they saw...no scratch that, they adored what they saw. Takeda wasn't like that at all. He was always polite save for the time he first met me but that was only because he didn't trust me at first (neither did I so I couldn't really blame him) but after that, he was always nice to me and he's already saved my life twice. I guess I trust him now because he's nothing like all the other men out there. I gotta admit though...he gives amazing massages; I could stay like that for hours._

_I was really shocked at the size of the slash across his chest and I guess from that point, I completely understood why he was slow to trust others. It was even more imperative because he had to ensure Shia was safe. He has a hard life but he really doesn't seem to be complaining about it which is something I admire about him: he was humble and never once complained about anything we've done._

_Wow...why am I talking about him so much? Am I growing fond of him?...no...I can't become attached because it will make things harder. I will admit that I enjoy his company immensely but now was not the time to be focusing on that. We just arrived at the military base Berkley talked about._

_Time to ready up and get things done. I already worked out what we needed to do and I told everyone about their tasks._

_Danny and I were the only ones who knew how to pilot the plane and also to refuel it so it was up to us to find fuel and get it back so we had a full tank at our disposal and possibly even carry more fuel so we can simply land and refuel rather than to pray our next stop had more._

_Takeda and Shia were going to try and find any food and drink that we could find because we had to abandon a great deal of it when we entered the airport. Takeda also promised to find some phones or walkie talkies that we could use to keep in touch with each other at all times._

_Angela decided to find ammo and equipment we could use. She had us make a list of items and she would make sure to find as much as she could. She seemed really happy about having that task._

_Berkley and Warren however said that they needed to search the base for something important. Berkley refused to tell us what it was so I just decided to allow them to go in their own but I made sure to give them both weapons to defend themselves. Berkley as usual was trying to hit on me in the process of thanking me._

_Tasks set and we have until nightfall to accomplish it all._

_Time for action!_

_Will write again soon._

_Jessie._


	11. Diary Log 6

**(A/N): Another log for you guys while I try to compile the main cast! Thank you all for your submissions but I thought I'd make an announcement here as well:**

**I DO NOT NEED ANYMORE MALE CHARACTERS  
**

**I made a poll a few days back about how balanced the character line up had to be in terms of male-female ratio and the males are in the lead at the moment. This is why the two bonus slots I promised will be FEMALES only. Sorry if this causes some inconvenience for anyone but I just gotta put it out there.**

**Anyways, enjoy the log!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #2: Takeda Yuen**

**Diary Entry #2**

****_July 19th 2013_

_I never thought I'd be writing in this thing again...but I guess I'm really excited now that things were getting better for us. I still knew however that were were a long way from being safe from the infected but at least now, we had something to hope for. I still couldn't believe our luck with the airport and finding that plane and the twins just happened to know how to fly AND refuel it. One would think that this luck was unreal but I wasn't one to complain about that kind of thing._

_That plane was probably the first time I had ever sat in the lap of luxury before. It was quite a large aircraft that had three bedrooms which could hold three people each, six if two people stay in a bed. There was even quite a large storage closet where we could put our food and water should we find any in our search of the base. There were even two bathrooms complete with showers and sinks...though I have to admit that they were just a little too cramped for my tastes. If we ran into more survivors, I'm quite sure we could accommodate them with the many seats in the aircraft though I was starting to think the group was beginning to get a tad large. Still, saving others gives us a better shot at surviving because of our strength in numbers. I don't really think that we're going to have a "leader" per say but for the most part, Jessica seemed to be coming up with efficient plans. Jessica...I have no idea why I have been thinking about her so much._

_I will admit that I peeked a little when she walked into the room though I still have no idea how she didn't notice my presence considering I was right beside the bed in the corner but I didn't bother to question it because my eyes were too pleased. Thankfully, she didn't get angry with me but what really surprised me was that she asked for my help in relaxing. I taught her a few meditation techniques and I gave her a set of meditation beads that she could use to maintain the trance but she was still haunted by her nightmares at night. In fact, she took a nap and I heard her screaming before Daniel managed to calm her down. I suppose even a soldier could be mentally affected by this outbreak after all...she's human. I feel as if we grew much closer over the time when I rescued them from that psycho in the store...to the point where she trusted me to give her a shiatsu massage. I didn't think much of it at first because I knew she wanted it to relax but now that I truly thought about it...she likes me enough to trust me when she's in such a vulnerable state. I gotta stop thinking about this...I've got too much to do to focus on her._

_Our tasks were already set in stone but I still had a very bad feeling about Berkley and Warren...not so much Warren because he's a good kid for saving my sister but Berkley. As funny (wow...I never thought I'd say he's funny...) as he is, there's just something about him I hate...but I'll keep it to myself for now because I could be wrong about him; he did contribute knowledge about those things that we just might encounter at the base. I promised Shia that I would teach her how to defend herself because I was beginning to realize that I can't always be there to protect her. I suppose I could trust the others now but she's my sister...therefore my responsibility._

_Will write again soon...I'm beginning to like venting my emotions like this._

_Takeda Yuen_


	12. Journal Log 1

**(A/N): Here's another log guys! This will be the only time I will be writing more than two logs between main chapters. After this, it will be a maximum of two (so you guys don't shoot me in the face for starving you xD). I'm still looking for two female characters to join the cast! We lack an Ada Wong esque character. Fans of Resident Evil will know exactly what I mean by Ada Wong esque xD Once that's done, all other characters will have cameo appearances or will take part in a potentially epic (or not so epic) DEATH! :P**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Journal Log #2: Berkley Stern**

**Journal Entry #67**

_July 19th 2013_

_Things seem to be going exactly as I planned. I didn't expect for there to be so many people to have found us in the airport but I suppose it makes things better overall. I hated the thought of having to fight those accursed corpses and putting Warren...or should I say SEVEN in harm's way but it seemed to be the only way those idiots would try to help us. Despite this, I must admit that they were a heck of a lot more cooperative than I anticipated. Still, I sort of feel like this plan of mine is a bit too ambitious but I suppose everything comes with time._

_The military base where I found Warren is exactly the place I need in order to find the rest of the files I need. Warren's powers aren't stable and he has no clue how to control any of them and I'm sure that place has the keys I need to unlocking that power. Until I find it, I need to keep these fools from figuring out my intent. I guess I can keep up the idiot and funny facade for a little while...it's actually interesting to see them all react to my jokes._

_That Angela lady though...very interesting indeed. I've always had a fancy for that Irish temperament and she already doesn't like me. Nothing like the thrill of the chase I'd say! Hehe...can't wait to work my magic on her. She's definitely going to be important later on if it all goes according to plan._

_I need to make sure that those files get into my hands because they hold the key to not only Warren's powers but also to curing the infection or at the very least giving an immunity to it. No one but myself and anyone of my choosing will have the luxury of using it..._

_There should still be some BOWs inside the base in the deep part of the underground laboratory...it would be wise to make sure that some of the ones who have suspicion are...removed from the equation. That accursed girl Shia has SEVEN around her fingertips and I need to make sure she's out of the way so he can be completely emotionless for my plans. With the grade of strength, speed and endurance he has, emotions being removed from his brain will make him the ultimate killer, more powerful than any BOW those fools at Neo Umbrella can concoct._

_Time to put my plan into effect...it will be sad that they have to die for their innocence but my plans will not go unrealized!_

_I shall record all my success in my next entry...they will not escape._

_Dr. Berkley Stern._


	13. Destrite Laboratory

**(A/N): Time to see what happens at the military base! I will warn you all from now, expect some gore and intense violence! Oh and continue with the character sheets people. I still need those two female characters! Please try not to make any of them military baddasses...we have enough of them already!**

**Time for this story to really start getting serious!**

**Enjoy my friends!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Destrite Laboratory**

"Here is a map of the entire base," said Berkley as he laid it out on the floor.

The group gathered outside of the plane and huddled together.

"The base is split up into several sections, everyone knows where to go and what they have to do?" asked Jessica.

Everyone nodded in approval. Takeda turned to Shia and gave her his gun with some clips of ammo. He then turned back to Jessica.

"Jessica, I think it would be good if I stuck with Berkley and Warren for the course of this, I'll see if I can provide an extra pair of eyes for their search," he said.

Jessica looked at him and saw the glint of suspicion in his eyes. She then smiled and nodded. Warren seemed to light up at this but Berkely had a disgusted look in his eyes.

"You'd have no idea what you're looking for lad, why don't you remain with the original plan?" asked Berkley.  
"I trust Angela and Jessica enough to take care of my sister, it will help us get this done faster so we can move on," he replied solemnly.

Berkley was in thought for a moment before he grinned.

"Alright lad I suppose I can just describe it to you," he replied.

Takeda nodded before turning around and taking a look towards the base. The base wasn't a large one but outside had several zombies shambling about. It would be easy to get inside but none of them had any idea what the inside could be like. Angela stepped up and cracked her knuckles.

"I won't take long to get the weapons because the armoury is the first room in the base from the entrance, you two land the plane once we've cleared the landing zone of those things," she said.

Daniel and Jessica nodded before boarding the plane. Shia turned to her brother and hugged him.

"Be careful big brother," she pleaded.

He returned the gesture.

"I won't be long now stay with them and listen to them ok?" he asked.

She nodded and went into the plane. Angela loaded her weapons before securing them on her person.

"Everyone has their tasks set, let's go clear that runway for the twins to land," she said with an encouraging tone to all of them.

They quickly moved forward to the runway. The zombies turned to them and started to move towards them. Some of the zombies were the crimson skinned kind and they ran rather than shambled towards the group.

"What makes those things run so fast?" asked Angela.  
"They are V-ACTS, a mutation of a human infected with the T-Virus, I call them Redskins for short," said Berkley.  
"The mutation makes them able to run fast and grow those vicious claws?" asked Takeda.

Berkley nodded.

"The only way to prevent them from coming is to burn the body of the zombies to destroy the brain, the second part will be simple assuming you all have good aim because I sure as hell can't shoot a gun to save my life," he said.

Angela smiled and Takeda pulled out a pistol before taking aim. They made sure to take down the sprinting Redskins first. Not every shot was on par but Angela hit with many of hers due to her previous experience. Takeda missed quite a few of his but all of the ones he did hit were headshots. They then moved in, gunning down the zombies around the runway in an attempt to clear a landing zone for the twins. When they were satisfied, they threw a green flare to signal safety. Surely enough, the twins began their descent but they had to turn around. Warren suddenly turned around and shoved Berkley down to the ground. To Berkley's surprise, Warren caught what looked like a red appendage. He looked for the source and to his horror, he saw what appeared to be a mutated animal with the appendage being an extremely long tongue. Warren pulled the tongue as hard as he could, tearing it from the creatures mouth and causing it to scream in agony. The scream alerted the rest of the group and Angela gasped.

"What the FUCK is that thing?" she screamed.  
"Another mutation as a result of the T-Virus...the final stage of an average infection and the evolved form of the Redskin zombie...I call them Lickers because their tongue is their greatest weapon," said Berkley.

The grotesque creature stopped moving before going limp. Warren dropped the tongue before looking to Berkley. Berkley nodded in thanks for the save. Everyone waited for the plane to land. Jessica came outside with a horrified look once she saw the dead Licker.

"Daniel said that he would handle the refueling process and he wants me to come with you Angie," said Jessica.

Angela smiled.

"I get company! What joy!" she said.

Everyone huddled together again.

"You know what to do guys, Shia, I'm going to ask that you go inside that office and see if you can find some walkie talkies," said Angela.

Shia looked at the small building which resembled a shipping container before nodding. She was about to run off before Takeda caught her arm.

"Be careful...remember everything I taught you," he said.

She nodded and he released her, much to everyone's surprise. Berkley, Takeda and Warren moved into the main building while Angela and Jessica moved into the armoury.

**Inside the Armoury**

"There some lights in here?" asked Angela.

Jessica fumbled against the wall before flicking a switch. The room was horrifying. Bloodstains littered the floor but the weapons seemed to be untouched. Angela noticed a shadow and looked up before almost screaming in horror. A Licker hovered directly about her head but it wasn't moving.

_"Berkley said they rely on sound to find their prey so I guess we should be quiet here..."_ whispered Angela to Jessica.

She nodded and began to tip toe towards the weapons. Once they reached a closet, they slowly opened it. The Licker seemed to notice the sound but ignored it, probably believing it was a rat or something insignificant. The closet housed assault shotguns and grenades in addition to body armour. Angela grinned brightly at seeing the grenades and armour and quickly strapped on the vest. She put the large bag she emptied and begin to put ammo and weapons into it as silently as she could while Jessica kept watch. To their relief, the Licker crawled through the ventilation shaft until it was out of sight and earshot. Jessica breathed deeply in relief.

"So princess, tell me about that quality time you spent with Mr. Monk," teased Angela.

Jessica looked at her with an irritated look but also a bright red blush.

"It's none of your business!" she replied in annoyance.  
"Come on...if it makes a difference I chilled with your brother the whole night while he made me laugh myself almost to death," she said.

Jessica was in thought for a moment. A few moments of silence passed.

"...He helped me relax," she said looking down.  
"Oh he did? I wonder what that means," said Angela with a wink and a wolf grin.

Jessica blushed even brighter than before.

"No...I mean...he helped me clear my head and he taught me how to meditate and relax," she said.  
"Really? So what were those moans I was hearing when I walked past the room?" asked Angela keeping the same wolf grin.

Jessica looked away.

"I asked him to give me a massage," she replied.

Angela wolf whistled but not loudly and put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's a good kid you know, young lass like you would be nice for him especially considering all the shit he's been through with that sister of his," she said.

Jessica looked down again, as if she were considering the thought. She then turned to Angela.

"I could say the same about you and Berkley," she teased.

Angela scoffed at her words.

"I'm not interested in that slob one bit...though he is pretty handsome," she said honestly.

Jessica chuckled at her comment.

"Tell me something, why do you find it so hard to let yourself like guys?" asked Angela.

Jessica sighed but put a hand on her shoulder.

"When we get out of this place and get back into the air where there aren't things that can kill us with their tongues, I'll tell you," she replied.

Angela grinned.

"I'mma hold you to that princess! said Angela.

They loaded as much as they could carry before carefully exiting and returning to the plane before repeating the trips twice more, ensuring they got as much supplies as they possibly could.

**Inside The Admin Office**

Shia peered inside the room before carefully raising her gun and turning the lights on. She was thankful that the room was largely untouched apart from many cabinets being turned over and papers scattered everywhere. She cautiously began to search the room. She checked every cabinet she possibly could and searched the desks and drawers. Luck was on her side when she discovered a set of four walkie talkies inside the main desk. She quickly stashed them in her bag before searching for anything else of value. She discovered a large pack of batteries and some gasoline in some bottles. She stored everything in her bag even though the load was significantly more; Takeda's martial arts training in their previous years taught her the fine art of perseverance. She prepared to leave to unload before making another trip when to her horror, she saw a shadow against the wall. It looked human. She turned around to a man. He was well built and toned with his short dark blonde hair. He had dark brown eyes and wore some flimsy looking dark blue overalls with some large boots with steel toes. She immediately raised the gun at him and he looked panicked.

"Whoa! Don't shoot!" he said raising his hands.  
"How did you get in here without me noticing!" she demanded.  
"I was hiding in there," he said as he pointed to the large closet behind him.

She cursed herself for not checking that closet earlier.

"I don't mean any harm! I just want some answers!" he said.

Shia lowered the gun reluctantly but kept her finger on the trigger in case he was double crossing her.

"What's a young girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked.  
"None of your business," she replied coldly.

The man raised his hands.

"I'm Travis, Travis O'Connell," he said.

Shia for some reason found herself much more at ease upon him revealing his name to her.

"Shia Yuen," she replied.  
"Nice name! Like that American actor dude right?" he asked with a chuckle.

Shia rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here Travis? You don't look like you work here," she asked.  
"I wandered here from a town a few miles from here, I've been living here for about three days but then those things started to pile up so I've been hiding in here for the most part," he replied.

Shia nodded slowly.

"You're here alone?" he asked.  
"No, I'm here with others," she replied.

Travis's face lit up, obviously with his hope refreshed at the thought of there being others alive.

"Come with me," she said.

Travis nodded and followed her to the plane.

**Outside The Plane**

Daniel wiped the sweat from his face but smiled at his work. He had managed to find a truck that had an almost full tank of gas. He had to fight his way through some of the zombies but he managed to get the truck to the plane and attached the tube to the plane's tank. He sat down and waited as the fuel was transferred to the plain.

"It's all going according to plan, at this rate we may have time to do a final search together for anything else we could use," said Daniel to himself.

He felt his eyes start to droop. He looked around quickly to see if anything was nearby. Surely enough, the entire area was practically deserted.

"I guess I could close my eyes for a few minutes...it's too damn hot out here," he said.

He folded his arms and closed the doors and wound up the windows before turning on the AC and allowing himself a little rest.

**Inside The Laboratory**

"I'm very surprised this place has been completely untouched," said Berkley.

Takeda looked around at the pure white interior of the room they were in. They had managed to get inside the base with little to no trouble apart from a few zombies and Lickers but they were more than prepared for them. Takeda had gotten the hang of shooting the zombies in the head and Berkley made sure to let him know to shoot the exposed brains of the Lickers. Berkley approached the keypad to enter the main office where much of the files were stored.

"Takeda, watch my back, this will take some time," said Berkley.

Takeda nodded and raised his gun towards the entrance. Berkley took a few minutes but he managed to get the door open.

**"Welcome to Neo Umbrella! Please remember to replace all articles in their original locations after viewing! Have a nice day"**

"Fucking bitch with her lies," said Berkley as he walked in.

Takeda cautiously entered the room with Berkley and Warren. There were large cabinets neatly lined up in rows along with several doorways that lead to other rooms.

"Takeda, look in that room over there for anything on the T-Virus, get as much as you can," said Berkley.

Takeda nodded before moving into the room. Berkley turned around before typing in some code into the terminal.

_"Time for the first variable to be removed from the equation..."_ he thought to himself.

He pressed enter and the screen went ominously red as he smiled and turned to the cabinets.

"You know what to look for," he said to Warren.

The boy nodded before he walked away to find the files. Berkley laughed to himself.

**In a BOW storeroom**

Takeda moved cautiously through the room before stumbling upon a desk. He examined the files and smiled; the files all seemed to detail everything about the virus. It even had information on the BOWs. Takeda noticed a particular one that still had a pen open on it. He examined it.

_Experiment #90B6  
Codenamed: GAREN_

Behavioral Notes: This species of the mutation is extremely aggressive and will readily attack anything near it. Apart from it's extreme aggression, it had a tendency to swing it's claws at the air almost as if it were warming up for what seemed to be it's inevitable attack against it's unfortunate opponent. GAREN will however not attack an opponent by surprise and will broadcast it's presence with a roar or loud growl. It seems to exhibit a desire for a challenge and will not attack anything that seems 100% completely helpless. However, it is smart enough to identify weapons though it does not recognize everyday items, such as lighters and molotovs.  


_Ways to Neutralize (for employee use only should the knowledge become necessary): GAREN is extremely susceptible to fire. Fire will easily burn away it's flesh and cause it to quite literally melt into a pool of blood and flesh. GAREN is also susceptible to hard trauma to the cranium as it will destroy it's brain and render the body useless._

__Takeda packed as much of the files he could carry and cleared the desk. He prepared to leave when a loud growl was heard. He turned to see a large humanoid monster. It had long sharp teeth, red eyes and had extremely long claws. It roared at him, as if it were challenging him. Takeda knew that if he engaged the monster in the room, it would be difficult to dodge but if he tried to run, it would give chase and likely pose a threat to Berkley and Warren. He stood his ground, point his gun at the creature's head. As soon as the creature noticed him raise the gun, it charged at him before swinging it's claws. He rolled out of the way and retreated several steps before firing shots at it. It however shrugged off the shots like it were nothing. Takeda cursed that he wasn't able to hit the head with the entire clip of the gun and he knew he would have no time to reload. He didn't want to risk fighting it up close with his sword so he did the only thing he could, he ran. He ducked and dodged many of the tables that were in his way. The creature followed him, throwing the tables and cabinets aside.

He ran as fast as he could through the corridor and turned the other direction to avoid Berkley and Warren being endangered by the chasing creature. He ran into a new room which contained several gasoline barrels. He had an idea. He ran to one before kicking it as hard as he could, causing it to turn over. Unfortunately, the creature swung its claws and sliced him across his back. He hissed in pain before continuing to run as he quickly reloaded his pistol. He then lured the creature in front of the barrel before confronting it. He knew that if he didn't time this right, he was a dead man. He fired several shots at the creature and it took the bait before lunging at it. He quickly slid under its legs though its claws grazed his chest. He rolled with the momentum from the slide before shooting the barrel, causing it to explode and lighting the creature on fire. Surely enough, it screamed in agony and tried to go for Takeda but it fell to its knees before it ceased movement. Takeda rose to his feet before he moved as fast as he could in case more of them came. He needed to get medical attention else he risked bleeding out.

**Outside The Plane**

****"Plane's refueled sis," said Daniel.

Jessica smiled and hugged her brother before rubbing his head in pride.

"Good job Danny, we got a lot of ammo and body armour with our last trip," she replied.  
"I also found some first aid kits, some of the kind that those field medics in the military use so I guess we can actually treat some big injuries should the need arise," said Angela leaning against the truck.

They looked to see Shia approaching with Travis in tow. Angela looked at him and folded her arms before smiling.

"Brought along a friend have you?" she asked.  
"He helped me find other things besides the walkie talkies we now have," she explained.

Jessica smiled.

"And you are?" asked Angela.  
"Travis O'Connell," he replied holding out a hand.

Angela shook his hand.

"Angela Khris," she replied.  
"I'm Jessica Williams, this is my brother Daniel," said Jessica as she pointed to Daniel.

He nodded. Shia looked around.

"Where is my brother?" she asked.  
"He hasn't come back with Berkley and Warren yet," said Jessica.

They heard a yell as Berkley and Warren came running. Berkley had a smile on his face while Warren seemed glad to see everyone with a glint in his eyes.

"Where is my brother!" demanded Shia.  
"I don't know, he wasn't around and I heard an explosion so we ran outside with the spreading fire," replied Berkley.

Shia's eyes filled with tears and Jessica could already feel the tears coming into hers. Daniel's face turned into a frown and Angela closed her eyes and looked to Shia before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We have to go help him!" she said.  
"I would go back my dear but that fire is too intense, there's no way we can get back in there," said Berkley.

Shia started to cry loudly as she fell to her knees. Warren was almost instantly at her side and he put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and to his surprise, she clung to him. He had no idea how to react and put one arm around her and rubbed the back of her head. Jessica stared towards the building.

"Why weren't you three together?" asked Jessica.  
"Takeda went into a different room to get some of the files while Warren and I searched for the others to save time," replied Berkley.

Jessica's eyes suddenly widened.

"Look! There he is!" she shouted.

Everyone looked toward the building to see Takeda walking towards them with a hand on his left shoulder. He wasn't moving very quickly and to their horror, Lickers were behind him giving chase.

"Everyone move! Cover him!" shouted Angela.

They grabbed their weapons as Jessica sprinted towards him. Takeda fell to the floor from exhaustion. Jessica quickly reached him before helping him to his feet as she took out her pistol and fired at the approaching creatures.

"Daniel! Get the plane started! Now!" she screamed.

Daniel ran inside and did as she wished. Everyone boarded the plane as Angela and Jessica rushed Takeda inside the plane. They managed to gun down most of the Lickers before Daniel hurriedly took off. Everyone went to their respective rooms with the exception of Shia, Jessica and Angela and Travis stayed in the passenger seats. The task of the day was now to make sure that Takeda would survive.


	14. The Lifesaver, Teacher and Climber

**(A/N): Everyone enjoyed that last chapter? Sorry if the action was lackluster (I don't usually write action after all xD). Remember that fight for survival I mentioned in the last chapter? Well. HERE IT IS! XD**

**Enjoy my friends!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Lifesaver, The Teacher and The Climber**

**Inside Bedroom #1**

"Get me the medical kit Angela!" shouted Jessica.

Angela nodded and dashed off as she turned back to Takeda who was still silent but his face showed all the agony he was in. Shia looked at him in horror.

"Got it! What can we do?" asked Angela as she returned with the kit.  
"I know some first aid but these huge slashes aren't going to heal properly if I do anything," said Jessica.  
"I can do a few things, I took some classes when I was at home," said Shia immediately.

The tears were still evident on her face as she walked and sat beside her brother.

"These cuts are beyond anything I can do though...I'll only temporarily fix the problem but I have to try or he'll bleed out," said Shia.  
"Did someone say medical help?"

Everyone turned around to see a woman. Angela slapped her forehead.

"Just how in the hell did you get in here?" she asked.  
"That man was sleeping in the truck and I didn't see anywhere else that seemed safe so I kind of snuck on...with my two friends...I'm so sorry," replied the woman.  
"Friends?" asked Angela.

Another woman stepped out as if on cue with one more right behind her. Angela shook her head; Daniel was gonna get it later. Three more survivors got added to their group and suddenly, the supplies they just gathered seemed like an insignificant amount.

"We're so sorry for barging in...we had no idea where else to go," said the tallest woman.  
"What are your names?" asked Angela.

The first woman looked at Takeda on the bed and her eyes lit up. His handsome face despite his injured state drew her to him but the injuries were what really caught her attention.

"I think we should make our introductions later, right now he's in danger of going into shock at the rate he's losing blood," she said as she rushed to his side.

Jessica felt a pang of jealousy inside of her but allowed her to go to her side and examine the cuts.

"What the hell did this to him? I haven't seen lacerations so long and so deep through the kind of clothing he's wearing," she asked in shock.  
"It was one of those monsters...I ran into one when I was searching for Berkley's files," he announced.

Shia immediately rushed to his side and hugged him.

"Please don't talk big brother...you need your energy," she pleaded.

He was about to reply when the woman held up a hand.

"She's right, save your strength because I'm going to have to operate on you, anyone have a medical kit?" she asked.

Angela handed her the kit she just brought and she smiled.

"Lucky for you, this kit is complete with everything, including painkillers so you'll be fine," she said.

Takeda's eyes closed and he nodded as if in approval of her plan. Jessica took Shia's hand.

"Everyone outside except you two," said the woman as she pointed at Jessica and Shia.

Everyone nodded and walked outside though they each gave Takeda an encouraging look, wishing him good luck with his recovery non-verbally. The woman opened the kit and turned to Jessica.

"I need you apply the painkiller, about 10 milligrams should be enough to numb him completely," she said.

Jessica nodded before she drew the indicated dosage. Takeda looked at her and nodded in approval. His face was almost blank but the sweat that covered his face as well as his reddish eyes indicated that the agony he was in only worsened with time. She applied the painkiller and within minutes, he passed into a deep sleep.

"He'll be out for about half an hour so we have to move quickly," she said as she handed both the girls a large amount of gauze and disinfectant.

The woman then took out another syringe before filling it with a colourless liquid.

"What's that?" asked Shia.  
"It's something to help his blood clot because it isn't doing it fast enough to stop the bleeding," she replied as she injected it.

They immediately caught on with what to do and they got to work with cleaning his wounds. The lacerations were gruesome. The claws of the GAREN prototype did a lot of damage but thankfully didn't reach much further than the epidermal layer of skin which meant he would completely heal from the lacerations give time. As they finished cleaning the wounds, the woman began to sew up some of the cuts. Shia looked away and Jessica pressed her into her shoulder to keep the girl from seeing the grotesque process. After about twenty minutes, the woman was finished. A great deal of the cuts were sealed and the final task was for him to be bandaged.

"I'll leave the bandaging to you," said the woman as she handed Jessica the large roll of cloth.  
"Will he be okay?" asked Shia.  
"He'll be fine, he just needs some rest and time to heal," she replied with a smile.

The girls face filled with happiness as the woman took her outside, leaving Jessica to bandage the still asleep Takeda.

**Inside The Passenger Aisle**

The woman and Shia returned to the others and they looked up at them.

"How is he?" asked Angela.  
"He's going to be okay," she replied with a smile.

Angela sighed in relief as did Daniel.

"Now I believe introductions were promised?"

The woman who just did all the medical procedures stepped up.

"My name is Samantha Price, you can call me Sam," she said.  
"I'm Seraphina Ricarde, you can call me Sera," said the second one  
"I'm Olivia Taranov," said the third one.

Everyone acknowledged them. Angela proceeded to shake each of their hands as they began to fill each other in on the situation and also to converse to learn more about each other.

**Inside Takeda's Room**

Takeda awoke feeling soft hands on his body. He cracked his eye open to see Jessica hard at work bandaging his chest. He smiled slightly to himself before jolting his body awake, slightly frightening Jessica. She looked to see his gaze fixed on her and she smiled.

"You feeling alright?" she asked.

He nodded before smiling at her.

"Where's the medic?" he asked.  
"Outside introducing the others," she replied.  
"What did she say about my condition?" he asked.  
"She said you'll be fine but you have to take it easy for a few days so your cuts can seal," she replied

Takeda nodded before attempting to sit up. He winced in pain and Jessica instinctively grabbed him by the back of his shoulder.

"I don't think you're healed enough to move freely yet," she said softly.

Takeda's face had anger for a few moments before he relaxed into the bed, giving up on moving for now.

"Hungry?" she asked.

He nodded slightly before she rose to her feet.

"I'll be right back," she said as she left the room.

As she did, Takeda couldn't help but smile to himself.

_"Guess she does like me after all..."_

**Inside The Food Storage Closet**

"Looking for something for him?" asked Shia.

Jessica turned around quickly with a blush to see the girl smiling at her.

"He said he was hungry and he can't move yet so..." she began nervously.  
"He really likes rice and soup so give him both the microwave lunch and the ramen," she said with an even brighter smile.

Jessica looked at her with her eyes widened.

"I know you like my brother and I'm glad that you're here for him...I don't know what I would've done if he had gotten hurt and we were on our own," she said looking down.

After putting both a cup soup and a microwave lunch of chicken and rice in the microwave and upping the time to three minutes, she sat down beside Shia.

"Why is your brother to quiet all the time and at times he's a bit...cold," she asked.

Shia looked at her as if trying to scan for any signs of ill intent. What she found was a genuine smile and pure curiosity.

"Big brother's always been the one looking out for me...even when we were younger he would be the one who would cook and care for me over our parents...in all his time between studying with the monks and sleep, he didn't have much time to make friends," she explained.  
"He studied with monks?" she asked.

Shia nodded.

"He didn't become one but one of our father's best friends was a master of martial arts and he trained him and his training was particularly strict because he chose to do more than one style..." she explained.  
"You mean he chose to put that kind of stress and pain on himself?" she asked.  
"He was convinced that it was the only way he could be strong enough to protect everyone...he wasn't always this strong and fast," she continued.

Jessica looked down and her eyes narrowed.

"He didn't have any friends apart from the teacher who taught him because all his lessons were private," she finished.  
"So he became cold for what reason? The training?" she asked.

Shia nodded.

"That's part of it...but our parents turning was what really made big brother the way he is now," she said again.

Jessica looked at her with shock in her eyes.

"Also...when we were on our own, before we found you and Daniel...some men ambushed us and tried to rape me...big brother killed all six of them by himself...I had never seen big brother so serious or cold in my entire life and for the first time...I was scared of him,"  
"He cares that much for you doesn't he?"  
"Ordinarily, if he found others alive and they didn't do anything threatening, he wouldn't mind them at all but when that one man tried to grab me...he broke that sense of tolerance and practically went into tunnel vision,"

Jessica nodded as she heard the microwave beep. She removed the food and placed it in a tray. Suddenly, Shia clung to her.

"Please...make my brother happy...he deserves it after all he's been through," she pleaded.

Jessica didn't know what to say. Shia wasn't usually one to open up like this to anyone in the group, least of all her who was supposedly the most hardened; she was desperate. She smiled and put a reassuring hand on her head.

"I'll do my best," she said.

With that, she took the tray and returned to the room.

**In The Passenger Aisl****e**

"So you mean to tell me that you and your sister were in a full fledged military unit at the age of 18?" asked Olivia.

Daniel nodded with a wide grin.

"Jessie and I work like clockwork whenever we get a mission to take on," he said with the same proud grin.

Sam smiled at the man's expression while Sera simply watched on in interest.

"So what about you Olivia? What's your story?" he asked.  
"Not much to say really...I lived a pretty sheltered life with my parents, I was a climbing instructor until this shit happened and well here I am now with these two," she replied.

Daniel turned to Sera who snapped out of her trance upon noticing his gaze.

"Well...I was an orphan for most of my life and I jumped from foster family to foster family until I finally got settled down and got my degree done in History so I decided to be a teacher," she said.  
"Last time I checked, History teachers don't pack katanas," he said with a smirk.

Sera looked back at the sword strapped to her waist before laughing nervously.

"It was a gift from my mother and my saving grace for much of what's happened so far with the whole outbreak thing," she replied.

Daniel then looked to Sam. She blushed a little at his gaze but lit up immediately.

"I was born and raised in France and I begin nursing school from then but I wanted to go see my adoptive family in America...but then somehow some of the passengers were already infected and by the time we landed, it was a full plane wide outbreak...I had to barricade myself in the cockpit with the co-pilot...he sacrificed himself to save me,"she said.

Daniel looked at her, the grin completely gone from his face as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that...but don't be sad! You've got all of us now!" he said with a smile.

Sam's face brightened and she grinned. Everyone noticed Jessica walking back with the tray of food. Daniel was the first one to wolf whistle and Angela had one of the widest grins she had ever seen.

"So? Feeding your prince princess?" asked Angela.

Jessica ignored her words though she couldn't control her face from turning into a red Christmas light. Sam looked at her and she immediately felt a pang of jealousy but she smiled.

"How's he doing? Did I do a good enough job?" she asked.  
"He still can't move on his own but he's awake and doesn't seem to be feeling much pain at all," replied Jessica.

Sam nodded as she passed the aisle and went back into the room before shutting the door.

**Inside Takeda's Room**

Jessica smiled as she found him asleep. She put the tray down on the bed before gently rubbing his hand. His eyes opened and he looked at her before looking down at the tray. She was about to give it to him but he reached for it and began to dig in. She chuckled at his speed.

"So I guess you were hungry after all!" she said with a smile.  
"You have no idea how long it's been since I've eaten ramen," he replied with an amused look on his face.

She liked seeing his face with a smile like that; he looked even more handsome that way. He soon finished the soup but noticed her stomach growl. She laughed nervously.

"Guess I should've gotten for myself," she said scratching the back of her head.

To her surprise, he cut a piece of the chicken and held it out to her. He waited patiently for her response. She inched a little closer before he put the fork in her mouth. She was delighted at the taste.

"We can share this...that ramen was pretty big," he said.  
"Not when you made it vanish into thin air like that," she teased.

He chuckled heartily as she reached into her bag and pulled out a fork. She had no idea why she always forgot to move her bag into her own room but didn't mind it as it meant less awkward sights and comments from the others if they saw her walking in with a single fork. They ate the small lunch together and began to talk about their pasts. Takeda had to admit that he was impressed with her military record and even laughed at some of the stories she shared about her and her brother's shenanigans back in boot camp days.

"Did he seriously throw it at the colonel?" he asked.  
"Yes and he got two hundred push ups for it!" she managed to get out in between laughs.

Takeda shook his head with a smile that showed his teeth. Jessica looked at her watch.

"It's 10 PM already? We should all be getting some sleep," she said.  
"Can you let Shia sleep in your room tonight? I don't want her to see me like this because she will worry," he asked.

The level of trust he had in her astounded her. She however blushed.

"I was thinking that I stay in here...I'm the lightest sleeper so if you needed something I'd always be in earshot," she said.

To her surprise, Takeda blushed but he turned away.

"Well...if you think it's best," he replied.

She smiled.

"I'm going to take a shower, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes," she said.

He nodded as she left the room.

_"What the hell did I just do to myself..."_ he thought.

**Fifteen Minutes Later- The Passenger Aisle**

Jessica wiped the water from her hair as she walked to her brother.

"Where did you set the plane to go?" she asked.  
"I plotted a course for the nearest airport which is about five hours away from here; there wasn't much fuel we could get from the military base so I'm hoping this one will give us better luck," he replied.  
"You filled the tank?" she asked.

He nodded.

"There wasn't any spare barrels or at least any I could find so if we're lucky, we can get some barrels at the airport we're heading to in addition to a refuel," he replied.

Jessica smiled.

"I'm proud of you Danny," she said.  
"Yeah whatever sis now go keep Takeda company," he said with a wink.

She blushed again.

"He's a good man sis...I totally approve if you're into him," he said.

Jessica sighed.

"I met him three days ago and I'm already this into him...what the hell is wrong with me?" she asked.  
"You're human? You have emotions? He's really a good kid? You're growing out of that stupid phase you forcibly put yourself in? Any of those just about explain it," he teased.

She playfully smacked him in the shoulder.

"Have you heard from Berkley and Warren since we went in the air?" she asked.  
"Berkley came out once to get food for both himself and the kid and said he was reviewing all the files he got from the laboratory," he replied.

Jessica nodded; at least the guy wasn't wasting time.

"Well I'm gonna turn in, goodnight," he said as he walked to the room Angela.  
"Goodnight princess...don't let him get lonely now," said Angela with a wink.

Jessica rolled her eyes as they left. She approached the three new members of the group.

"Everyone comfortable?" she asked.  
"Yes...thanks again for letting us come with you and we're still sorry about sneaking in," said Olivia.  
"Me too," said Sam.  
"Me three," said Sera.

Jessica laughed.

"It's alright! It's not like you tried to kill us or something, the more the merrier I say!" she said with a smile.

The girls smiled at the soldier.

"Well if you need anything, you should know by now where everything is," she said as she walked off.

A collective "goodnight" indicated that they were going to sleep as well. Jessica then went into her room. To her surprise, Shia was already asleep in Angela's bed. She however caught Angela in the process of changing into her sleeping clothes. She wore a dark blue two piece set of underwear. Jessica was thankful that Daniel wasn't in the room otherwise things may have gotten awkward.

"Don't you ever knock?" she asked with a snort.  
"Sorry...I was just checking on Shia," she said.  
"The girl's fine princess now go get yourself some sleep, your eyes are red," said Angela as she shooed her out of the room.

Jessica rejoined Takeda in his room before shutting the door.

**Inside Takeda's Room**

"Where's Shia?" he asked.  
"She's with Angela; she's already asleep," she replied.

He couldn't help but look at her. She had once again removed the army uniform and replaced it with her sleeping clothes which consisted of a large dark green t-shirt that had the words "US Army" in large print on the front. She wasn't weaing Takeda looked away but rose to his feet, surprising her.

"I thought you were in pain?" she asked.  
"I was but now I'm fine, I can move again," he replied.

He sat in the small chair next to the bed.

"Why? You're the injured one," she asked.  
"It wouldn't be polite to let you sleep with your back upright," he replied.

Jessica blushed intensely at his kindness before she turned off the lights and lay in the bed. As she turned them off, floor lights turned on, giving the small room a gentle illumination.

"Are you going to actually sleep?" she asked.  
"Maybe," he replied.

She swallowed audibly before clearing her throat.

"You know...I don't mind sharing," she said nervously.

Takeda was thankful that the room was dark enough to mask the blush on his face.

"You're going to trust a boy that you met three days ago to sleep in the same bed with you?" he asked.  
"You trusted me with your sister and with your wounds...this is nothing compared to that," she replied.

There was a moment of silence.

"You told me that you were never comfortable with men," he said sternly.  
"I did say that...I didn't say I was uncomfortable with **you**," she replied.

His heart rate tripled upon hearing that sentence escape her lips. She turned around to face him and the smile she had on her face assured him that she was sure. He climbed into the bed and lay near her.

"Goodnight Jessica," he said.  
"Goodnight Takeda," was her reply before silenced filled the aircraft.


	15. Journal Log 2

**(A/N): Everyone enjoyed that last chapter? Yes I know the moments were sweet and all that good stuff. Please feel free to send me a PM with any comments you'd like to share or even ideas! I'm pretty damn open you know!  
**

**After last chapter, people kept asking me the same question: "What's up with Berkley?" Well, time to find out!**

**Enjoy my friends!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Journal Log #2: Berkley Stern**

**Journal Log #68**

_July 20th 2013_

_HOW THE HELL DID HE SURVIVE! I was POSITIVE that the GAREN prototype would've been enough to kill him with no contest! That accursed kid...and now people will be even more wary of each other. I knew I should have let out more of the GAREN prototypes to kill that kid. Oh well...it simply means a delay in my plans but all is not lost. It simply means that I'd have to make sure that he's out of the picture the next time. At the very least, he got me much more material I can learn from in the search for a cure._

_The files I found in the archives were nothing short of useful. Everything that I found was what I needed and more. I made sure to download every single bit of data I possibly could and now I have everything I need to learn everything there is to know about the T-Virus. I felt scared for the first time when I caught sight of a new virus called the C-Virus. There wasn't much about it in my files but there was enough to really make me wonder about those bastards in Neo Umbrella. They needed a new virus? The T-Virus wasn't enough for them to work with? More questions appeared in my head when I really needed answers. I will be able to decide on my course of of action later on assuming my next plan will work._

_They want to make a stop at another airport and also live in an actual settlement for a while as the aircraft was difficult to live in considering the risks of the auto pilot system or even just a power failure which can kill us all. I didn't mind the idea because I grew tired of being in the air and the danger of the next town wasn't very high. The town that was next was a place called Pruinato, a small town that was known for it's high concentration of electronic stores and also appliances. They also had a very good reputation for their apartments and accommodations. Hopefully there would be a low concentration of infected there which would give me some time to research and also to plan._

_SEVEN was silent today but he also ruined my day when he confirmed his care for Shia. I have never felt so infuriated in my entire life and the problem was that I was powerless to change his mind because the moment he catches a whiff of me doing anything concerning her, he will watch her like a hawk. Hopefully, I can figure out something to remove that variable from the equation. That Travis fellow though...interesting man. He's hiding something...I can feel it._

_Time to review more files. I shall make a detailed record of my important findings in my next log._

_Berkley Stern._


	16. Settling In Pruinato

**(A/N): Everyone enjoyed the log? I hope so because I sort of rushed it plus I was half asleep xD, Anyways, here's the next chapter! Nothing too major here but I will tell you all that shit's gonna start getting real (courtesy of a certain reader who submitted quite an interesting character).**

**Enjoy my friends!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Town Of Pruinato**

Jessica's eyes fluttered open as she awoke from her deep sleep. She had to admit that she hadn't slept so well in a long time. Her eyes examined the room that was now illuminated by the sun. She then noticed a comforting warmth beside her head. She looked up and realized that she had fallen asleep with Takeda in the bed with her. She had somehow moved from the other side of the bed to his body. Her head rested on his chest and her hands were on his stomach. She blushed the brightest shade of red and felt the most heat ever in her cheeks. Her heart rate doubled and she couldn't help but admire his appearance. He wasn't able to bathe but he wasn't dirty and didn't give off a bad scent. It was a scent that was purely...him. Takeda was still sound asleep as he silently breathed. She could feel his chest rise and sink with every passing breath. She looked at her watch and realized that they slept in. She also noticed that the plan wasn't moving which meant that Daniel must've already landed. She gently rubbed his hand and he stirred before looking down. For a split second, she saw a nervous look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry...I didn't realize that..." he said.  
"N-No! It's alright...we can't really control if we move in our sleep," she said assuringly.

His eyes met hers in a deep gaze but he smiled and nodded.

"We've already landed so I guess the others went about scouting," she said.  
"Go back to sleep," he said.  
"Why?" she asked.  
"Your eyes are still red," he replied.

She looked down before he rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?" she asked.  
"You got me food when I was in bed, I'm returning the favor because I heard your stomach growl," he said.

Jessica blushed again but smiled. To her surprise, he seemed to have no problem moving about and he was even stretching his arms and legs.

"What would you like?" he asked.  
"Surprise me," she replied.

He smiled again before nodding and leaving the room. She was right about no one else being on board for the most part. The only person that remained was Samantha.

"Where did the others go?" he asked.

Samantha looked up from the book she was reading and smiled.

"Oh you're awake? I saw you two asleep so I didn't want to disturb you," she said as she marked and shut the book.  
"Yes...sorry for sleeping in," he said.  
"It's alright, are you still in pain?" she asked.

Takeda shook his head and she smiled.

"Everyone went to scout for areas we can visit and also for some transportation to get into town, we're at the airport right now and thankfully, there wasn't much infected around," she said.

Takeda sighed in relief.

"I'll need to clean your cuts again and change your bandages a bit later," she said.  
"Thank you again...I don't know what I would've done if you didn't get on the plane," he said.

Sam smiled brightly at him. Takeda examined her for the first time. She was tall and had a slender build with just enough curves in all the right places. She had long fiery red hair, that was very curly, narrow emerald colored eyes, a button nose, and a very soft, approachable looking face. Her skin was porcelain, just the right amount of freckles on he as well. She dressed very casual dresser with baggy shorts and hoodies. One particular thing that caught his eye was that she had a large scar right next to her left ear. In other words, she was quite attractive.

"We'll change the bandages tonight when we move into town," she said.  
"Thank you again," he said as he walked away.

Sam couldn't help but look at him with a grin.

_"Very...VERY handsome..."_

**Fifteen Minutes Later- Takeda's Room**

Jessica opened her eyes to see Takeda beside her. She leaned up from the short power nap before he pointed at the tray in front of her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said.

He nodded as he looked outside the window. Takeda prepared a Hungry Man XL Dinner, some Eggo Waffles and put a cold bottle of orange juice beside it. The Dinner contained a large piece of BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. It wasn't the healthiest breakfast but she loved waffles and even more than that, she loved the fact that he took the time and effort to make all of this for her despite being injured. Takeda munched on a granola bar as he continued to look out the window.

"Have you ever tasted this before?" she asked.  
"Never eaten mashed potatoes before," he replied.

Her eyes widened before she beckoned him over.

"You're tasting this whether you like it or not," she said as she filled a fork with it.

He sat on the bed looking at her in anticipation. When he didn't see her extend her hand, he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. She laughed softly.

"Don't be shy," she said as she held up the fork.

Takeda leaned forward and she stuck the fork into his mouth before drawing it out.

"Not bad at all! This will be my dinner tonight considering there's about five crates of it inside the storage closet," he said with a light chuckle.

She smiled and continued to talk with him. She thoroughly enjoyed talking to him and every time she got into a story, he patiently listened unlike many others. She had to admit that she was sort of a chatterbox at time if she got into something interesting but unlike most other people, Takeda was genuinely interested in what she had to say. She finished her food before Takeda turned to leave.

"Where are you going again?" she asked.  
"To shower," he said.  
"Don't you need to remove all those bandages?" she asked.  
"Oh...I actually didn't think about that," he said scratching the back of his head.

This clumsy side of him amused her to no end.

"Come here and I'll remove them," she said as she rose to her feet.

He obeyed her as she used her knife and cut the bandages off but carefully as not to touch the wounds. She was very surprised that the wounds had already sealed and that his previous stretching didn't tear them back open. He was quite a fast healer. She cut the last bandage off.

"All done!" she said with a smile.

He turned around to face her with a smile.

"Thank you for your kindness," he said softly.

His voice was suddenly smooth and sincere. She looked up at him and met his eyes. She suddenly froze at his chocolate eyed gaze. This gaze wasn't like the others; it was mesmerizing. She found herself drifting closer almost involuntarily. He wasn't moving but his hands twitched as if in a conflict with themselves. He wanted to hold her...but he had no clue how she would react to it. She drifted closer and closer and was very close to him within a few seconds. She was too close; he could see the shade of red her eyes had in astonishing detail and even the blush on her cheeks.

A loud knock snapped them out of their trance.

"Hey princess! You awake yet?" shouted Angela.

Jessica cursed under her breath and Takeda turned away.

"I'll be outside and ready to go in a few minutes," he said.

He then opened the door and shuffled past Angela but not without greeting her. Angela looked towards Jessica and noticed the blush on her face and sighed deeply.

"I came at a bad time didn't I?" she asked.

Jessica didn't answer her but the look in her eyes and the still evident blush gave her all the answer she needed.

"Sorry about that...we scouted most of the town and it's pretty deserted," she said.  
"No zombies?" asked Jessica.  
"Yeah there were...but they're all already dead as if some kind of mob hunted them down and burned them," she said.

Jessica imagined a group of survivors going on a killing spree but considering that the outbreak was so widespread, she couldn't believe a large group of them clearing the town.

"Any idea how they died?" she asked.  
"Gunshots definitely," she replied.

She shuddered to think that it was a military unit that likely died in action from the overwhelming undead but she shook the thought from her head.

"Everyone's ready to go?" she asked.  
"We found three cars to transport everyone: three CRVs parked in the airport parking lot," she replied.

Jessica smiled.

"Nice job," she said.  
"Thanks princess; that's awfully nice coming from you," she said with a smile.

Jessica quickly changed into her combat gear and joined the others outside. Within a few minutes, Takeda emerged from the plane completely clothed. Shia immediately ran up and hugged him and he returned the gesture.

"I'm fine Shia...I feel much better," he assured.  
"I'm so glad you're ok big brother..." she said.

He smiled as he stood up from his crouching position.

"Good to see you well buddy," said Daniel.  
"Yeah you looked pretty bad yesterday but I'm glad you're alright," said Olivia.  
"Likewise," said Sera.  
"Well you're a tough lad Takeda but thank you for the files; they've helped immensely and I think I may be on the verge of a great discovery," said Berkley.

Warren looked at Takeda before smiling slightly and nodding.

"Good to see you moving again," said Warren.

Travis then got out of one of the cars after noticing Takeda's presence.

"Good to see you're still kicking," he said with a smile.

Takeda nodded at him.

"So what's the plan guys?" asked Angela.

Daniel stepped up with a smile.

"I went further into town and I found a big building that seems to have quite a large penthouse apartment in it," he said.  
"Think it's big enough to house all of us?" asked Angela.  
"Could be cause it's a pretty big building and it seems to be just that one apartment in it," he replied.  
"Ok good...we've got a place to sleep at night, what about supplies?" asked Olivia.  
"There's a Publix up the road from that building and there's also a Brandsmart connected with a Home Depot for anything else we could need," he said.  
"And weapons?" asked Sera.  
"We stockpiled quite a lot of ammo from the military base so we should be good on that end," he finished.

Jessica smiled and hugged her brother.

"Good job bro," she said with a smile.

He bowed humorously causing everyone to laugh.

"The cars are already loaded with the supplies we'll need to move in there, we can always come back for more because there's quite a bit on the plane," said Daniel.

Everyone nodded and got into the cars before heading towards the town of Pruinato.

**Forty Minutes Later**

Everyone was relieved that the building contained no infected and somehow, the power was still running. They all took the two elevators up and came across a large double door. Angela smiled as she stepped forward and tested the door. It was locked. She proceeded to skillfully pick the lock and open the doors. To their surprise, Daniel's estimations were met and then some. The penthouse apartment was more like a penthouse HOTEL. There was a large kitchen with an island in front of the large appliances for eating, a large couch with several loveseats around it. On their right was a room which had an even larger couch with a large TV in front of it with a complete entertainment center. There were two sets of stairs going up and as they went up, they found four bedrooms and three bathrooms in addition to two walk in closets. There was also a laundry room and also a study which had a desktop computer and a laptop.

"Whoever lived here was loaded...REALLY loaded," said Sam.

A mutual "uh-huh" indicated that everyone agreed.

"Let's get settled in and call it a night, we don't have a lot of time to search around and we should do that when there's plenty of sunlight out," said Olivia.

Everyone agreed with her and went to settled into their rooms.

**Bedroom #1: Takeda, Jessica and Angela  
****Bedroom #2: Daniel, Travis and Olivia  
****Bedroom #3: Berkley and Warren  
****Bedroom #4: Sera, Sam and Shia**

**Several Hours Later**

"Goodnight sis," said Daniel as he walked out of the room.

Jessica waved him off as she continued to sip on the hot cocoa she made. Everyone else had already gone to sleep with the exception of Angela and Takeda. Angela was eating a sandwich and Takeda was upstairs taking care of the laundry. Berkley walked into the kitchen in search of something to drink.

"Ah yes...at least this person has a good taste in soda," said Berkley as he drew out a Mountain Dew from the fridge.  
"How's the research going Berkley?" asked Angela.

Berkley looked to her with a smile.

"It's great actually, I may be on the path of discovering a cute or at the very least, an immunity," he said with a confident smile.  
"That's great news!" said Jessica.

Berkley chuckled proudly.

"It's going to take a lot of work to perfect it...and I'll also need to find a laboratory to put everything together but I think I can do it," he said.

Angela smiled at him; for once he seemed to not be an asshole.

"I'll see you lot in the morning, have a good night ladies," he said with a smirk.

He walked away before Angela yawned after throwing away her paper plate.

"Night princess," said Angela as she walked into the entertainment room.  
"Where are you-" she began.  
"Have some alone time with him...think of it as my apology for ruining your moment," she said with a wink.

She blushed brightly and opened her mouth to retort.

"I know you almost had one before so don't argue with me...I saw the way he looked at you when we were in the car," she said.

Jessica sighed.

"You'll thank me for this later princess," she said with a wink.

Jessica slowly made her way upstairs with another cup of cocoa in her hand. She entered the room to see Takeda in a meditative stance. She knocked against the door softly and he opened his eyes before smiling at her.

"You like hot cocoa?" she asked.  
"I've never tasted it," he replied.

She scoffed before shaking her head.

"What kind of rock do you live under?" she asked.

Takeda shrugged before she handed him the mug.

"Did you make this yourself?" he asked.  
"The premade stuff was expired...so I made it from the base powder," she said.

He sniffed the liquid before taking a sip. He then proceeded to gulp the entier cup down before letting out a content sigh.

"Delicious," he said.

She took the cup from him before putting it on the end table.

"Did you change your bandages?" she asked.  
"Yes...Samantha also dressed the cuts with some ointment she found in the medicine cabinet," he replied.

Jessica again felt a pang of jealousy.

"I feel fine though; I was able to workout in the room over there," he said.  
"I know...I saw you," she said blushing and looking away.

She definitely remembered seeing him doing pull ups on the bar without his shirt and seeing how toned he was in addition to doing push ups and tai chi forms. She turned off the lights and lay in the bed. Takeda remained sat up and she turned to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence before she heard him exhale audibly.

"Can you sit up for a second?" he asked.

She did as he asked, curious to his reason.

"What is it? Are you in pain?" she asked with concern.

Takeda's face was warm and he was extremely thankful that the nightlight didn't illuminate him enough for her to see properly.

"I...want to tell you something...but I'm not sure I can," he said looking away.  
"Is it about your past?" she asked as she moved in front of him.  
"I...I..." he said breathing at an increased rate.

He sighed as he hissed his teeth.

"I'm terrible with words..." he said as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall behind the bed.

Jessica leaned forward and put his hands down to his side.

"Relax and gather your senses," she said.

He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"Were...were we about to...when...Angela came in?" he stuttered.

Jessica immediately caught on.

"Oh...that...umm...well..." she said nervously.

Takeda was suddenly silent before he felt a hand on his.

"I like you a lot!" she said swiftly.

His eyes widened in shock and she leaned down with her head facing the sheets.

"I know it's really soon to be saying something like this but I can't help myself! You're a good man! Hands down one of the best I have ever had the fortune to know in my entire life and I like you!" she confessed.  
"I understand if you don't feel the same way because this is probably weird...we haven't known each other for long and-"  
"Jessica," said his smooth voice.

She looked up and he put a hand on her cheek.

"The feeling is mutual," he said.

Jessica couldn't stop herself from pressing her lips onto his.


	17. Illusion To Reality

**(A/N): Glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter! I had a TON of fun writing a romance scene with Jessica (thanks to Bulma3678 for submitting her) but as with all Resident Evil or hell, zombie apocalypse style stories! THERE IS A TWIST! :D**

**I'm also gonna take the time to announce that there is room for ONE more character to make the main cast a total of 12 people. Yes I know the cast is huge but I'm not complaining; it makes writing this story all the more interesting and fun! (believe me, I haven't had so much fun with writing since I was 7).**

**Enjoy this chapter and I can BET that none of you guys saw this coming (unless you paid VERY keen attention to something I kept reiterating).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Illusion Or Reality?**

Jessica woke up feeling exhausted. In fact, she woke up feeling more exhausted than ever before. She looked around to see Takeda reading a book in the lounge chair. She also felt a very cold spot on her forehead and realized that an ice pack rested on it. Takeda noticed her wake up and was instantly at her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
"I'm...really tired," she mumbled.  
"You came in last night and just passed out," he said with worry clear on his face.

Jessica froze upon hearing his words.

"I didn't say anything last night?" she asked.  
"No...you handed me a cup of hot cocoa and laid down before going right to sleep," he replied.

_"You have got to be shitting me...everything after the cocoa...didn't happen?"_

She sighed deeply and lay down.

"Open your eyes," he requested.

She did as he asked and to his horror, her eyes were still red with exhaustion. He immediately had an idea of what was wrong with her.

"Lean your head down," he said.

She again obeyed him and to his surprise, he found exactly what he suspected: a spider bite.

"Remember when you said you felt something bite your neck yesterday?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You got bitten by a house spider, not the common kind, the poisonous kind," he said as he knelt down to look at her leg.

He was again right.

"You also got stung by ants...I read about them in the files that Berkley had me get...they cause massive hallucinations and the venom exhausts you constant which explains why you've been so tired all the time," he explained.

Jessica was still silent and she cursed herself for believing the hallucination.

"How did you know?" she asked.  
"Remember when you came in yesterday and you complained about that pain in your neck and then you started scratching your leg when we were watching the movie?" he asked.

She nodded and sighed again.

"Will I be okay?" she asked.  
"Considering that you're not burning up and that the only symptom you exhibit is the exhaustion, you'll be fine if you just sleep more," he replied.  
"You knew exactly what I had?" she asked.  
"I used to help my teacher with some of the medical emergencies and he showed me some animals that can cause a lot of trouble with bites or stings," he explained.

She nodded slowly. A short pause of silence passed before Takeda turned to her.

"What did you dream about?" he asked.  
"It's nothing..." she replied as she rose to her feet.

His hand grabbed hers in an instant.

"You're not going anywhere; everyone else is out getting supplies and helping Berkley get his equipment for his research," he explained.  
"So it's just you and me?" she asked.  
"Samantha's downstairs in case you get worse but I lied to her and said that it was minor because I knew that if I told her, we would never get time to speak," he replied.  
"Speak about what?" she asked.

Takeda responded by pulling her, causing her to fall into his arms.

"I want to know...why you don't trust men...but you trust me," he said slowly.

She saw him turn away and she was positive she saw a blush on his face.

"Do you really want an answer to that?" she asked.  
"Yes...because it's been eating at me," he replied.

She turned to face him totally and looked down as she struggled to find the words. The look on his face showed that he honestly had no idea why she was allowing him so much leeway.

"Well...I..." she began.

A knock broke them out of their moment.

"Takeda? Is Jessica away yet?" asked Sam.

He got up and opened the door, much to Jessica's annoyance. Sam walked in and looked at her.

"Why are your eyes so red?" she asked.  
"I'm very tired...I'll probably just go back to sleep," she replied.

Sam was startled at the slight hostility in her voice.

"What's wrong?" asked Takeda to Sam.  
"Daniel just radioed in and said they're on their way for Shia and Sera," she said.  
"What about Berkley, Warren and Angela?" he asked.  
"No word...just thought I'd let you all know," she said.

Without a further word, she left the room.

"What were you going to say before?" asked Takeda.

Jessica didn't reply to him; she was too disappointed that she actually believed he felt the same way about her. He sat beside the bed in the small chair.

"Why don't you go outside with Sam?" she asked.  
"Because you're more important," he replied.

His sudden compliment silenced her and she looked at his face to see one of those smiles that warmed her heart.

"If you need anything, just tell me," he said.  
"Thank you...now that you mention it, how about some tea?" she asked.  
"Chamomile?" he asked.  
"That's my favourite!" she replied with a smile.  
"Mine too," he said as he rose to his feet.

He strode across the room.

"I'll be back in ten minutes," he said.

She nodded as he left to make the tea.

**Inside Brandsmart USA**

"Got everything you need Dan?" asked Olivia.  
"Yeah I think I've got just about everything we could need for now," he said as he pushed the cart outside.

Olivia and Daniel went to Brandsmart to gather anything they could use. Daniel managed to find all the walkie talkies they needed, headsets and phones for everyone. Olivia carried a bag full of batteries on her back and Daniel pushed a cart which contained a generator.

"This way if we ever do lose power, we won't be completely helpless," said Daniel as he loaded the generator into the car.  
"Good idea in coming here," she said.  
"I have plenty of em," he said with a wink.

Olivia laughed softly at his facial expression as he drove off towards Publix where Sera and Shia were getting groceries. They arrived within minutes and entered the supermarket to find the two girls in the laundry goods aisle.

"Found everything?" asked Shia.  
"Yeah we got that and much more," said Daniel with a smile.  
"We need stuff to keep ourselves clean...that was the one thing we really lacked," said Shia.

Olivia chuckled.

"You're saying that you didn't wash any of your clothes once before you got here?" asked Sera.

Shia nodded with a blush on her face and she hugged the her.

"Well at least you'll smell like Febreeze now," said Daniel putting his hands behind his head.

Shia playfully sprayed him with Febreeze and he pouted.

"Quiet stinky!" she teased.  
"Hey! I'm a man! Sweating's part of the job description!" he said humorously.

Everyone laughed at his jokes as they loaded all the supplies they gathered into the second car. To their surprise, they found a note on the windshield. Shia took it up and read it aloud.

_I've noticed that you all came into my town and I don't appreciate you taking all of my stuff but I'll let it slide for now...but overstay your welcome and you'll regret it._

Shia looked at Daniel and he simply shrugged. Olivia had a sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen and Sera looked at her eyes and immediately understood her worry.

"We'd better get back to the penthouse and let's hope Angie, Berk and Warren are already back," said Shia.

Everyone nodded in agreement and drove towards the penthouse.

**In the Red CRV near the Penthouse in an alleyway**

"So you mean to tell me that you've been trying to find a cure for the virus this entire time?" asked Angela.  
"Exactly," said Berkley.

Angela looked at him and sighed.

"I guess that's why you locked yourself into the room when you got on the plane after Takeda got hurt?' she asked.  
"If Takeda got infected with the virus I would've needed to figure out if we had to kill him or not but thankfully, it seems the monster that attacked him can't transmit the virus via touch," said Berkley.  
"How do you know that?" she asked.

Berkley suddenly realized that he seemed suspicious.

"Well...judging from the size of his cuts and lacerations, it could only have been the GAREN prototype specimen," he said.

Angela nodded.

"How much do you know about Umbrella exactly?" she asked.  
"I worked for them for a while...but they really got out of hand when they started bio-terrorism and from that point, I learned everything there was to know about them," he said as he raised his hand.  
"Their viruses, employees, leader, specimens, the whole nine yards," he continued.  
"Do you know about all of those things that are trying to kill us?" she asked.  
"The vast majority of them yes," he replied

Warren stirred in his sleep and a soft grunt indicated that he must've moved in the backseat.

"So tell me about yourself Angela! You know pretty much all there is to know about me," he said.  
"You haven't told me a lot...only that you worked for the bastards who caused this shit," said Angela as she folded her arms.  
"Come now! I'm trying to figure out a cure so give me some credit! It's not like I was a hand in causing this," he said.

Angela turned to him before letting a slight smile grace her features. She began to tell him about her past. For some reason, Berkley had a genuine interest in hearing what she had to say. Ordinarily he would consider the lives of others other than himself boring but Angela really seemed to have had something.

"Ireland huh? That explains the leprechaun accent you got there," he teased.  
"Guess England did you justice with that Hugh Laurie wannabe voice didn't it?" she teased right back.

They both began to laugh in unison at their jokes. Suddenly, the walkie talkie went off.

_"Angela, come in...over,"_  
"Read you loud and clear soldier boy...over," she replied._  
"Did you and Berkley find the drugs and equipment?"  
_"Yes we did,"_  
__"Good job, suggest you head back now because it's beginning to get dark, everyone's already back,"_  
"Gotcha, on the way now...over and out,"

Angela turned the ignition.

"I take it their searches were all successful?" asked Berkley.  
"Sounds that way; he was pretty happy," she replied.  
"Splendid! Guess we should celebrate!" said Berkley.  
"How so?" she asked.

He pointed at a liquor store ahead of them and she snickered.

"I don't see why not eh? Let's grab some stuff over there and then head back," said Angela.  
"Now you're talking," said Berkley.

She chuckled before driving over to the store. They quickly went inside and filled a bag with varying alcoholic drinks before driving towards the penthouse.

"You're not as bad as I thought Berkley," said Angela.

There was a moment of silence before she heard Berkley chuckle softly.

"And you're not the worst company in the world Angela," he replied.

She looked at him to see him smiling at her.

"I'd love to know more about you...you're a fascinating woman," he said.

Angela couldn't help but feel the heat in her cheeks.

"Thank you," she finished.

They pulled up in front of the penthouse because they woke Warren.

"We're back kid...god you love to sleep don't ya?" asked Angela.

Warren simply shrugged.

"It's pretty boring hearing two adults talk," he said as a matter of factly.

They boarded the elevators.

**Two Hours Later - Inside The Penthouse**

"Jessica?" said Takeda as he rubbed her arm.

She stirred from her nap and turned to him. He smiled.

"Your eyes are normal again; I guess the herbs Shia made worked," he said.  
"Your sister's a natural with that stuff," she said.  
"She's had plenty of practice," he replied.

Jessica made a disgusted face.

"Just wish they would taste a bit better," she said as she sat up.

Takeda put a tray of food in her lap and she smiled at the scent.

"Who made this?" she asked.  
"I did," he replied.

She looked down at the plate of chicken chow mein and smiled.

"Thank you," she said as she began to eat.  
"Guess you're back to normal," he said as she sat beside her on the bed.  
"Where's everyone else?" she asked.  
"In their rooms most likely passed out from all the alcohol they drank downstairs," he replied.

Jessica laughed softly; Berkley decided to throw a celebration for their great luck. Everyone but Shia, Olivia and Takeda took part. Takeda instead chose to take care of Jessica because she still wasn't 100% well.

"Luck seems to be on our side as of late," she said.  
"I'm grateful because it has brought us all closer," he said in response.

Jessica smiled.

"Are you going to tell me what you dreamt about?" he asked.

She looked down before smiling.

"I want to know something first," she asked.

He looked at her intently.

"I want to know why you saved me and Daniel back in the store," she asked.

Takeda was silent for a few seconds but he looked at her again.

"I don't want to let anyone who deserves a chance die," he replied.  
"But why were you so cold to me?" she asked.  
"Because I was distrustful of everyone because my sister was nearly raped and killed...but now I trust you with her life and also with mine," he replied.

With that, her face turned crimson and she put a hand on his cheek.

"You're the sweetest guy I've ever met...and the answer to your question is," she whispered as she leaned close.

His face softened and a gentle smile replace his curious look.

"I like you...a lot," she said solemnly.  
"That's a relief...because I feel the same about you," she said

With their feelings now revealed...in reality, she pulled him into a deep kiss.

Jessica made sure to know that it was real by letting him truly know that no matter how hard she tried, this could never be an illusion. After kissing him for several minutes, she pulled away.

"I know...it's really soon since I met you...but I just can't help myself," she said.  
"We'll make this work...I haven't wanted something this badly in my entire life," he said softly.

Her eyes widened before he once again connected his lips to hers for a few seconds more before pulling away.

"You make me very happy...and you give me hope that this world can be rebuilt," he finished.

She embraced him and felt a few tears of joy well up in her eyes. He lay down with her.

"Where's Angela going to sleep?" she asked.  
"She's with Berkley," he replied.

She shook her head.

"Angela's a strange person to like a creep like him," she said.  
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," said Takeda with a slight laugh.

She shook her head again before laying on his chest.

"Goodnight Takeda," she said.  
"Goodnight Jessica...and here's something to remind you," he began.

He kissed her forehead.

"That this is no illusion," he finished.


	18. Diary Log 7

**(A/N): The reception from the last chapter has been overwhelming xD. Yes if you all paid attention you'd have realized that Jessica has been sick for the majority of the story. And yes if you didn't realize by now, she hallucinated the first kiss in the chapter before because of the venom in her system.**

**I'm slowing down until I get the final character slot filled so for now, here's another log. Keep submitting people! I don't plan on continuing the main story till the final character comes in!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #2: Shia Yuen**

_Diary Entry #11_

_Things are finally going in our favor for once. This town of Pruinato was largely uninhabited by any of those monsters and everything we could ever want and need is just an arm's reach away. I'm very glad that we managed to find this place and maybe just maybe, this could be the haven we've been looking for. Then again...considering the fact that this is practically a global outbreak, even if we did find a haven, not many people (if any at all) would be around to share it with._

_I just have a very bad feeling about that note that was left on the CRV windshield before we left Publix and I feel even worse knowing that whoever that person is that's watching us knew exactly where we've been and exactly what we've been doing. I don't really take that person's word when he said "I'll let it slide for now". That's like me telling Berkley that he's nice (ughh...that left a bad taste in my mouth just writing it). I can't help but think that the person who wrote the note is somewhat responsible for most of the dead monsters but I wasn't complaining; after big brother got hurt badly by one of them I didn't really want him to be at risk._

_Apart from that single worry, everything seems to be going well. All of us have been getting along quite well. I didn't mind the other girls that joined us and if anything, they really helped with the usually awkward atmosphere. It was plain and obvious that Jessie was head over heels for big brother but he doesn't really seem to reciprocate it. Then again, they've been spending a lot of time together ever since she got sick and he personally took it upon himself to watch over her while he also healed. I'm also beginning to think that Samantha likes him too but big brother will choose who he feels is best or as I'm predicting, not choose at all; he wasn't all that great with emotions anyway. Now that I think about it a lot...Jessie would be great for him because after getting to know her a little better...she's a really nice girl. If brother chose her, I'd totally approve._

_I have to say that I'm really curious about Warren; there seems to be a LOT more to him that what meets the eye. I still have no idea why he saved me when we were escaping the airport and why he's so nice to me and utterly dull and non-existent to the others. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm his age or because he's just shy. Whatever the reason, I'm really glad that he's here because sometimes it was lonely being the only one who's 16 or at least close to it. I however note that it was really difficult for me to believe that he is Berkley's brother. Warren also said that he didn't move any faster than a regular track star but there's no way that he could've cleared that distance so quickly naturally. There's something up and I want to find out what it is._

_Big brother said that there was someone calling for help outside about five minutes ago and went to investigate it with Samantha and Daniel. I'm gonna join them in a few minutes. Hopefully, it's another survivor who can help us or who actually knows where and where not to go._

_Here's hoping. Will write again soon._

_Shia Yuen._


	19. The Trickster

**(A/N): I am proud to announce that the main cast of Finding The Haven is complete! Thank you all for submitting your characters and donating your ideas! This story would not be possible without all of you!**

**With the main cast officially complete, I can finally get into the real story! Rest assured that even though your character may not be in the main cast, they will all make cameo appearances and may just play important roles! Keep submitting everyone!**

**Time to get down to business! Hope you all are enjoying the story so far and I certainly hope you'll continue to!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Trickster**

Jessica held her gun steady and took aim as she fired, connecting the bullet with the brain of an unwary zombie. It fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

"Ok Jess...you're the better shot," said Daniel rolling his eyes.

Jessica grinned at her brother as they moved forward through the building. It was dark but thanks to their trip to Brandsmart, the group each had their own flashlight to illuminate their way. They arrived at the lobby of the hotel before Jessica knelt on the floor and rolled out a map.

"We're currently in the lobby, according to what Takeda heard and also what we managed to see from scouting, we've determined that there are one or more survivors at the top floor," she said.  
"So what's the plan princess?" asked Angela.  
"I propose we split up into teams, that way we can cover the entire building should there be any others around that we can help," she said.  
"I work better alone; just tell me where to go," said Travis suddenly.

Jessica shook her head.

"Ok Travis, fifth floor and make it quick," she said as she tossed him a walkie talkie.

With a nod, Travis left the group going towards the stairs.

"I'll go with Warren to the second floor," said Shia.

Jessica nodded and the two took off, much to Berkley's dismay. To everyone's surprise, Takeda did not try to stop her.

"You let her go so easily?" asked Jessica.  
"I trust her to take care of herself; she isn't a helpless kid anymore," he said as he shrugged.  
"I'm supposed to let my brother go with her alone? Are you trying to get them both killed?" he growled.  
"They can take care of themselves and it's not like the building is crawling with infected," said Olivia as a matter of factly.

Berkley ignored her, still upset at her orders to Warren. Takeda glared at him coldly.

"Are you saying that he's not safe with her?" he asked.  
"No offense kid but your sister is about as good a shot as a blindfolded raccoon," said Berkley.

Takeda felt an insatiable urge to take out some of Berkley's teeth but he ignored it for the greater good.

"Sam, you go with Takeda and Sera to the third floor," said Jessica.

They all nodded and made their way towards the stairs.

"Dan, me and Olivia will go to the second floor and Angela and you can go to the top floor," finished Jessica.

Everyone nodded though Berkley did not like her idea one bit but eventually, he left with Angela. Jessica began to make her way to her designated location with Daniel and Olivia.

"Everyone read me loud and clear?" said Jessica into the walkie talkie.  
_"Crystal princess,"_ said Angela._  
__"Loud and clear sis,"_ said Daniel._  
__"Here," _said Shia.  
_"Hearing you fine,"_ said Samantha.  
_"Loud and clear Jessica,"_ said Travis.

Jessica sighed in relief that everyone answered.

"Report back to the lobby in one hour," she said as she cut the line off.

**The Second Floor**

Warren cautiously led the way as Shia held her gun covering the rear. Warren chose to arm himself with two knives and a pistol on backup in case things got too hairy. Suddenly, they heard screams.

"It's coming from that room," he said as he pointed towards a half open door that was half broken.

Shia nodded and they made their way into the room very cautiously. To their horror, they saw a woman on top of a closet screaming at the top of her lungs as several zombies ate what seemed to be one of her friends.

"NO! NOT MY SISTER! NO!" she screamed.

Shia shot one of the zombies but missed the brain and hit the shoulder blade. The zombies turned around noticing the sound and began to shamble towards the teens. Shia continued to fire, managing to hit two of them in the head but she finished the clip in the process. Warren knew she didn't have any time to reload the gun before they were upon them and he lunged forward with both knives in a reverse grip. He skillfully slashed two of the zombies legs, causing them to fall to the ground. He then jumped back before sheathing the knife in his left hand and taking his gun out in the same motion before firing at them. He managed to take down two more zombies but the two that were downed were still crawling towards him. He viciously stomped on one of their heads, splattering it's head like a melon meeting concrete. He then embedded the knife in his right hand into the other's head, silencing it. He thought it was over but a zombie came sprinting out of a bathroom and lunged for him. He was tackled to the floor as the Redskin zombie attempted to make him a quick meal. Shia shot it after finally reloading. It slumped to the ground. Warren looked back at her and nodded in thanks as he threw the body off of him and rose to his feet.

"Come with us," said Warren as he held out his hand to the woman.

The woman was extremely reluctant to leave her haven but she took his hand as he helped her down. She clung to him as if for dear life. He awkwardly put a hand on her back.

"Thank you so much...but...my sister," she sobbed.  
"I'm sorry for your loss...it's not safe here," said Shia.

As if on cue, more moans and groans were heard.

"The gunfire must've gotten their attention, we need to leave right now!" said Shia.

Warren nodded and they quickly made their way out of the room. Unfortunately, several of the zombies were Redskins and they sprinted after the fleeing trio. Warren tried to fire as they ran towards the nearest room.

"In there!" shouted Shia.

They managed to get inside a room and shut the door before locking it tightly. Warren and the woman quickly shoved everything they could to barricade the door. Warren sighed deeply.

"We're in trouble..." he said looking down.  
"What makes you say that?" she asked.  
"There are at least a dozen of those things out there and I doubt we can take them all down...we need help," he said.  
"Try the radio," said Shia.

He took it out.

"Come in Jessica...over," he said.

Nothing but static was heard and he cursed loudly as he sat with Shia and the woman.

**The Third Floor**

"So Takeda? May I ask you a question?" said Sera.  
"Sure," he replied.  
"What's going on between Berkley and you? You seem very hostile toward him," she continued.

Takeda looked down for a split second and took a breath.

"He doesn't give me a good feeling when he's around...like he's hiding something," he replied.

Samantha looked at him.

"Do you really think Warren is his brother?" she asked.  
"I intensely doubt that...the age difference it too great for it to make logical sense," said Takeda.  
"So you gonna do anything about that?" asked Samantha.  
"For now I'm playing along...especially since Warren looks like a good kid but I've got my eye on Berkley," he replied.

A loud crash and a gunshot broke the trio out of their conversation. They cautiously made their way to the source of the shot. Takeda moved in first to see a dead man holding a machete.

"Someone just shot him..." said Takeda looking around.

Before Takeda could even react, a large shadow dropped from the ceiling above him and grabbed Samantha by the arm before wrenching her into his arms and holding a gun to her head. Takeda instantly had his gun up to the assailant.

"Well now if it isn't the scavengers," said the person.  
"Were you the one who shot him?" asked Takeda as he gestured towards the dead man.  
"He was getting in my way and I needed to get this," he replied as he held up the gun in his hand.  
"If you got what you came for why are you holding her hostage?" asked Takeda.

Sera tried to move forward but the man pressed the gun harder against Samantha's skull and she backed down.

"Let her go," he said.  
"I will...if you honour me with something," he said.  
"With what?" he asked.  
"A sword duel," he replied.

Takeda look at him in disbelief.

"If you don't duel me, I'll kill both of them before you can even react," he said.

Takeda looked at Samantha and he saw the pained look on her face and he slowly holstered the gun.

"Takeda? You're not seriously going to fight this guy are you?" she asked.  
"I have no choice...get back and don't interfere," he said.  
"That's more like it," said the man.

He threw Samantha to Sera before drawing his sword from his back. Takeda did the same and they began to circle each other, watching for the first sign of an attack.

"Whoever this guy is...he's a total nutjob for wanting to duel in a place and time like this," said Samantha.

Both woman watched helplessly as the sword duel began with a loud clang.

**The Fourth Floor**

"Jessica come in, we found two people up here and they're not injured," said Angela.  
_"Good work, we've secured all we found alive and we're on our way back to the lobby,"_ said Jessica.  
"Roger that, we're coming back too," said Angela.

She cut the line off as she gestured for the pair to follow her and Berkley. Berkley seemed to be eyeing the two women with a cheeky grin though Angela didn't seem to notice. The group stopped running once they saw a group of zombies blocking the entrance to the stairs.

"Shit! They must've moved there when we kicked the door down to get in," she said.  
"Any bright ideas?" asked one of the women.

Berkley had a smile on his face as he took out a shotgun.

"Blow them to kingdom come," said Berkley.

He casually walked up the group before finishing them with four shotgun shells.

"Can we carry on now? I'd like to get back to my research," he said with a bored tone.

The three woman eyed him in disbelief but at the same time with vague lust. Berkely smiled as he walked through the door with the shotgun on his shoulder.

_"I'm gonna be getting some tonight!"_ he thought to himself with a lecherous grin.

The four of them made their way towards the lobby.

**The Second Floor**

The duel was beginning to become one sided as Takeda began to get the upper hand. Neither of them managed to injure each other but their panting and slowed down movements indicated that both men were getting tired. The man lunged with a final strike before Takeda sidestepped him and managed to kick him directly across the face, sending him rolling to the ground. The man rose to his feet, a mask covering his face as they saw his mouth turn upwards into a smile.

"Impressive...very impressive," he said.

Takeda held his sword up and stood protectively in front of the women. The man chuckled as he sheathed his sword.

"Very impressive...what's your name kid?" he asked.  
"Why should I tell someone who tried to kill me?" asked Takeda.  
"Believe me kid...if I wanted to kill you, I would've done it in your sleep or simply shot you right where you stand now," replied the man.

Takeda was silent for a moment.

"Takeda Yuen," he replied.  
"So you're one of the Yuens huh? I knew your father's name...Shane was it?" he asked.

Takeda's eyes widened.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Sera.  
"I have many names...you may call me Loki," he replied with a sadistic grin.  
"Why did you want to fight me?" asked Takeda.  
"No one carries around a sword of that brilliant quality and doesn't know how to use it," replied Loki.

Takeda sheathed the sword.

"I've been living in this town for more than five months and you are the first set of people I've come across that actually knows what they're doing rather than just doing stupid shit to stay alive...for that I am very impressed," he said.  
"What happened to you?" asked Olivia curiously.

Loki folded his arms.

"I was a gun for hire for most of my life and when the outbreak hit, all of my contacts flew off the radar so I've been wandering from city to city in order to find work and also to find a decent place to live," he replied.  
"You're an assassin?...Wait..." said Sera.

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Your name...is it The Trickster?" she asked.

Loki chuckled.

"So I see my reputation precedes me," he said with a smile.

Sera looked Takeda.

"You're lucky you're so good with that thing otherwise this guy would've shredded you like paper," said Sera.  
"Who is he?" asked Olivia.  
"He's one of the best assassins in the world...he's killed more people than I care to count," she replied.

Loki took a bow.

"Be glad that I no longer have an interest in killing any of you else all of you would be dead," he said.  
"Why?" asked Takeda.  
"Because you're not brainless fools and I may actually have a use for you...you've been clearing out the infected faster than I can and once they're all gone, I'll live here with no trouble at all," said Loki.

Loki turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" demanded Olivia.

Loki ignored her as he looked down at a phone before smiling.

"If I were you...I'd get to the the second floor," he said before he vanished into the darkness.

Takeda's eyes widened.

"Shia..." he said.

He sprinted off and the two women followed close behind him.

**The Hotel Lobby**

_"Jessica come in! Do you read me!"_ said Takeda.  
"Takeda? What's going on?" asked Jessica.  
_"Shia and Warren are in trouble, I'm going to the second floor to get them,"_ he said.  
"By yourself?" she exclaimed.  
_"Sera and Sam have civilians with them and are heading to the lobby, don't wait for me; I'll meet you all back at the penthouse,"_ he said.  
"Takeda! Don't!" she shouted.

The line went dead and not five minutes after, Sera and Samantha arrived with the three survivors they rescued from their floor.

"What happened? Where's Takeda?" asked Sera.  
"He went to help Shia and Warren," replied Jessica in a very worried tone.  
"What? He said he was meeting us here!" she exclaimed.  
"We have to go up and help him!" said Daniel.  
"We can't..." said Berkley.

Everyone turned to him to see him pointing at two of the women they rescued. They had gotten injured severely.

"We need to get them back to the penthouse to treat their injuries," said Samantha as she examined them.

Jessica looked down and she sighed deeply before turning back.

"We get them back but I'm coming back to get them out of here," said Jessica.

Berkley nodded and the survivors made their way to the vehicles. As they drove away, Jessica looked back.

_"Be safe Takeda..."_ she thought.


	20. Experiment SEVEN

**(A/N): Stuff got real didn't it? xD Hope you all are enjoying the story! With the main cast down in the the books, I can really start to update a lot more often from now on but don't expect them to be that often cause now I'll actually be writing lengthy chapters and stuff!**

**Anyway, on with the show! Oh and I'm gonna post a new poll soon and I want everyone to participate in it! Vote please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Experiment SEVEN**

"Feeling ok?" asked Shia.

The woman nodded in response as she handed her a bottle of water.

"Those things aren't going to get through the barricade but at the rate we're going we may not have another way out of here," said the woman.  
"What's your name by the way?" asked Shia.  
"Carolyn White," she replied.

Shia nodded in comprehension before turning to Warren. He was sitting against the wall with his eyes closed, one of his hands hanging on an upright knee. He seemed to be focusing but she couldn't tell on what. She moved beside him and he looked at her with a blank face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.  
"Nothing," he replied in a stoic tone.

She had never seen him so focused on anything before.

"You aren't worried about those things getting inside?" she asked.  
"Not really...I'm much more concerned for you and Carolyn," he replied.

She was astonished that he heard their conversation from the other side of the room.

"Why not yourself?" she asked.  
"Because I believe myself to be expendable; there isn't much of a reason why I'd like to be alive right now," he replied.  
"Why are you such a pessimist?" she growled.

He looked at her and saw the clear annoyance in her eyes. He suddenly sensed something and grabbed her by a hand and pulled her to him before rolling with her. To her surprise, a neat hole with a red appendage was in place of where her leg just was moments ago. She knew immediately the source of it.

"Lickers..." she gasped.

She turned to Carolyn.

"MOVE OUT OF THERE NOW!" she screamed.

Carolyn tried to move but to their horror, her leg was impaled by a tongue that came from under the floor. She screamed in agony and more tongues appeared, impaling her in various locations. Shia was helpless as Carolyn was turned to swiss cheese before her eyes before the Lickers made their way into the room by destroying some of the rotting wooden floor and crawling in. Shia screamed in terror and Warren rose to his feet as he stood protectively in front of the girl.

"Stay behind me and don't make any more noise," he ordered.

The tone of his voice was serious but also gentle. She obeyed him and stayed at the wall behind them as he unsheathed his knives. He charged at the first three Lickers. Each of them shot their tongues at him but he skillfully dodged all three of them anticipating where they would strike before slicing all three of them before they could retract them. He leaped into the air before embedding one of the knives directly into the brain of the nearest Licker before kicking it aside and repeating the action with the second. The other Licker tried to slash him with it's claws but he sidestepped the blow before kicking it so hard in the head that it flew into a wall. He then sheathed one of the knives before shooting it in the head. He turned back to see nearly a dozen more and he cursed under his breath. He turned to see Shia in a complete state of terror and he knew that if he didn't act now, she would surely be killed. He closed his eyes and sheathed his knife and holstered his gun before taking a deep breath and clenching his fists.

_"Saving her...is way more important than my secret,"_ he thought to himself.

Shia looked in both awe and terror as he moved so quickly that he appeared to be a puff of smoke in her eyes. He zipped around the room, kicking and punching the Lickers with extreme speed and finesse. His kicks were powerful enough to break their bones and every time one of them attempted to get up, he zipped to it before dropping a devastating axe kick, ending it's life. Within seconds, all twelve Lickers were dead and he let out a breath as he turned back to Shia.

"What...what are you?" she gasped.  
"I'm an experiment of Neo Umbrella codenamed SEVEN," he replied.  
"You...you're just like that terrorist...the one named Wesker," she said with shock.  
"No...I'm nothing like that insane maniac, I don't want to be a monster...I hate that I was born in a test tube and grown to be a weapon," he growled as he punched the wall beside him.

She looked on in shock.

"Berkley is the one who saved me from the laboratory because they were going to terminate me for being a failed experiment," he explained.  
"Failed?" she asked.  
"I wasn't supposed to have emotions...when I developed them, Neo Umbrella saw no use for me because emotions do nothing but keep one's killing potential to a minimum," he replied.

He looked away from the girl and looked out the window.

"I just wanted to be normal...to live a life without having to kill anything or anyone but I'll never get that wish now..." he said.

To his surprise, he felt her hand on his and she gripped it.

"You should go back to your brother and I should leave...I'm not a safe to be around," he said as he turned away again.

He tried to pull his hand free but she had such a tight grip that his efforts were futile.

"You're not a monster," she said.

Warren looked at her and wrenched his arm from her grip before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"I'm faster than anything the human eye can process...you won't even see me coming when I want you dead," he said between dashes around the room.

He punched a metal cabinet hard, making the door dent so deeply that it looked as if someone rammed a car into it.

"I'm strong enough to punch through metal like it's paper," he continued.

The final thing he showed her shocked her to the core as he removed his hood, revealing his eyes.

"Whenever I use my abilities, my eyes turn like that of that tyrant...Albert Wesker...the very person my design was based on," he said.

His eyes were indeed just like that of Albert Wesker and he raised the hood over his head again to hide them.

"I'm not a good person to be around...get out of here before I hurt you or worse," he said.

To his surprise, she hugged him from behind. It was his turn to be shocked.

"You would never hurt me..." she said softly.  
"...How can you be so sure?..." he said just as softly.  
"Because you're nothing like what Neo Umbrella intended for you to be; you're my friend and a friend to everyone in the group and as long as you're still alive and with us, you'll never be alone," she whispered.

Her words caused his eyes to widen. Their moment was interrupted by a barrage of gunfire at the door.

"Shia!" shouted a voice.

Shia's eyes widened.

"Big brother?" she shouted.  
"Come out! It's safe!" he shouted.

The two teens quickly removed the barricade and opened the door. Shia ran her brother's arms.

"You did well...good work," he said as he embraced his sister.  
"Warren did most of the work," she said with a smile.

She was thankful that his eyes were no longer glowing red when he lowered his hood.

"We need to get out of here but we're going to have to fight our way out; a lot of infected suddenly showed up," said Takeda.

The teens nodded and Takeda noticed Carolyn's dead body.

"She didn't make it...Lickers..." said Shia.  
"You did what you could," said Takeda rubbing her head.

Takeda had no idea how fifteen Lickers lay dead in the room but he wasn't questioning it; both of them were alive and that was all that mattered.

"Let's get going," he said.

They nodded and followed him with their weapons at the ready. They made their way to the first floor but to their horror, the stairs entrance to reach the lobby was on fire.

"How did this...I was here minutes ago and it was just fine," said Takeda.

His thoughts immediately went to Loki and he cursed under his breath; Loki seemed like the type to play games with them.

"What do we do now?" cried Shia.  
"Look for a fire extinguisher," replied Takeda.

The three quickly searched around. Warren managed to find one and he handed it to Shia for her to out the flames.

"Nearly there..." said Shia.

Suddenly, Takeda went flying across the hallway as a fist punched through a door. Warren turned around to see a massive figure in a large trenchcoat. Takeda recognized it immediately from reading some of Berkley's files and sprinted at it to prevent it from killing the two teens. He emptied his entire clip into the back of the monster but it turned with rage clear in it's eyes as it walked towards him. Shia managed to out the fire but she turned to see Takeda fighting the large monster.

"What is that thing?" she cried.  
"It's a Tyrant! It's one of their most powerful creations! You and Warren get out of here! Now!" he shouted.

The Tyrant suddenly charged and struck Takeda in the chest with a fist, sending him flying into a wall. From the way he slumped, he was knocked unconscious.

"BIG BROTHER!" cried Shia.

Warren clenched his fists before sprinting to the Tyrant and punching it hard in the face. It cringed before attacking him again but Warren dodged it and began to mercilessly pummel it with swift and powerful blows. The Tyrant managed to strike Warren into a wall but he instantly recovered and went back to the assault. He broke the Tyrant's legs but it refused to go down as it thrashed violently while roaring. Warren took his pistol out before grabbing one of it's arms and giving it a devastating kick, snapping it like a twig before repeating the same gesture with the other arm. He then emptied the entire clip of the pistol into it's head before giving it a powerful roundhouse kick. It slumped to the floor. His foe defeated, Warren quickly slung Takeda over his shoulder.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Shia was still in awe at his actions but nodded as they went down the stairs to the lobby. They found Jessica fighting infected outside.

"Oh my god! Are you guys ok?" she shouted.

Warren quickly rushed Takeda to the car.

"He's fine but he's unconscious," he said.

Jessica nodded before she quickly got into the car with them.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Shia.  
"Everyone's back at the penthouse," she replied.

She zoomed off, running over the now crowding zombies.

"Berkley took them back to ensure that none of them were infected," she explained.  
"I understand...but what if they are?" she asked.  
"I don't know..." said Jessica looking down.

They reached the penthouse and Warren instantly became the silent person he was before. It was as if he never said a word to begin with but now...Shia knew the truth about him. He was just like one of them...a product of Neo Umbrella.


	21. The Harsh Reality

**(A/N): Hello everyone! This chapter took me much longer than I anticipated but here it is! Hope you all like it! It's got more characters coming in and as of now, the main cast is completed with a grand total of 14 survivors. Yes it's a huge main cast but two of my closest friends contributed characters and I just couldn't say no to them. But yes, the cast is complete.**

**Anyway I've delayed long enough! Have fun with the chapter guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Harsh Reality**

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Jessica.

Sam rose to her feet before turning to her.

"He'll have one hell of a headache when he wakes up but apart from that he'll be just fine," she replied.

Jessica sighed in relief.

"Where's Berkley?" asked Jessica.  
"I'm not sure...he stepped out with some of the survivors we found in the hotel," replied Sam.

Jessica looked down.

"Did he say what he was doing?" she asked.  
"He said he needed to make some checks and he needed some extra help and since most of us were sleeping, they volunteered to go," she replied.

Jessica nodded in comprehension. Sam then left the room to seek something to eat. It was nearly two hours after the rescue at the hotel and Takeda still hadn't woken up. Jessica didn't leave his side for a moment and within fifteen minutes after Sam left, he opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
"Like a train hit me...twice," he groaned.

He sat up only for her to nearly tackle him back down with an embrace.

"Don't you dare go off alone again or I'll kill you myself," she sobbed into his shirt.

He felt his face soften as he put a single arm around her.

"I promise...I just didn't want to endanger anyone else...worst of all you," he said softly.  
"I'm a big girl; I can handle myself," she replied sternly.

He smiled.

"Yes you are...I'm sorry for not trusting you," he said.

She silenced him with a deep kiss. He pulled away after several seconds which felt like minutes.

"Are...we going to tell the others?" she asked suddenly.  
"I wouldn't advise it," he said in a suddenly serious tone.

Jessica felt her heart jump and for some reason she felt offended.

"It's not that I'm not happy...it's that I still don't trust Berkley," he said noticing her slightly changed face.

She sighed softly.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked.  
"Don't you think it's a bit strange that all he does is sit in his room and do research all day? If he's not doing that he's hitting on all of the women in the group...most of all you," he said folding his arms.

Jessica raised an eyebrow before a grin appeared on her face.

"Are you...jealous?" she asked.

He turned to her and rolled his eyes.

"Nothing of the sort...I just don't trust him with any sort of sensitive information; I just get a bad feeling that he's up to no good," he said turning towards the window.  
"You're jealous," she teased.

He sighed and she snickered when she noticed the tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Ok...just a little," he said with a huff.

She laughed before kissing him again.

"He's not even going to ghost my mind in that train of thought...trust me," she said.

He seemed convinced before he pulled her back into a kiss.

**In The Kitchen**

"Dan? Can you pass me the orange juice?" asked Olivia.  
"Sure thing," he said as he reached into the fridge before handing her the bottle.

She nodded at him before pouring herself a heaping cup.

"Anybody hungry?" asked Angela.

Olivia, Sera and Daniel looked at her and gave her an eager nod. Angela repeated the question to Warren and Shia who were in the entertainment room playing the PS3 and they approved her offer. Angela began to cook what seemed to be Shake'N'Bake Chicken and she steamed two pots of rice. Within an hour, she was done cooking and everyone sat down to a meal. Takeda and Jessica joined them shortly into it.

"Anybody seen Travis?" asked Jessica.  
"Come to think of it...he didn't come back from the hotel," said Sera.  
"You think he's?..." suggested Shia.  
"I doubt it; he can handle himself very well," said Takeda as he took an absent-minded sip of his tea.

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal Berkley and Travis, both of them bloodstained. Shia gasped at the grotesque amount of blood on Travis.

"What the hell happened?" shouted Daniel almost angrily.  
"We had no choice...the others that we found were all infected," said Berkley with his eyes pasted to the floor.  
"All six of them were infected?" exclaimed Jessica in disbelief.  
"Yes...every last one of them were infected because they all had bite marks on some part of their body," said Travis.  
"So you..." said Olivia.

Berkley coldly walked away from them and into his room. Travis folded his arms and went upstairs to wash off the blood.

"I'm going to go to sleep...I'm pretty tired," said Shia.

She walked over to the entertainment room and lay on the couch before promptly falling asleep. Everyone at the table followed shortly after except Warren who was staring out of the large window to the streets below. Warren suddenly heard a loud yell and when no one else awoke to it, he decided to go downstairs to check the source of the noise. He quickly made his way to the streets to find a man running as fast as his legs could carry him away from chasing dogs. From the grotesque look of the dogs, they were infected. The man didn't look like he was infected and Warren sprang into action. He took out his pistol before shooting at the dogs which distracted them.

"What're you doing you fucking idiot! They'll tear you apart!" he screamed.  
"Get inside here and leave them to me," said Warren.

The man didn't hesitate and quickly sprinted into the penthouse while Warren dealt with the dogs. They sprang at him and he quickly punched one hard in the snout, snapping it like a twig before spinning and kicking the other dog. It was simply stunned as it rose and charged again, growling loudly. It managed to tackle Warren but he grabbed the head with both hands before yanking it sideways, snapping it's neck.** (A/N: Cookie for whoever recognizes this moment)**. After dealing with them dogs, he moved back inside to see the man panting heavily.

"Whoever you are...thanks a lot kid," he said.

The accent in his voice was exotic and Warren couldn't identify it.

"What's your name?" asked Warren.  
"Jonah Barrah," he replied.  
"Warren Stern," said Warren as he shook he man's hand.

The man had a grin on his face.

"I don't know what I would've done if you didn't hear me...so thanks," he said.  
"Do you have a place to stay?" asked Warren.

The man looked down.

"I just got here...first someone was shooting at me and I ran...then those things appeared," he said.  
"Stay here," said Warren.

The man again had a grin on his face.

"Thanks a lot kid...you have no idea how much I appreciate this," he said as he walked to the couch and lay down.

Warren sighed deeply; he had no idea how he was going to explain this to the others but at least he saved his life. With another sigh, he walked to the entertainment room and sat in the recliner. He looked at Shia's sleeping figure before a smile crept onto his face. He was glad that he saved her though he hoped she would keep his secret. With a tired sigh, he allowed himself to drift into sleep.

**The Next Morning**

"So Warren saved you?" asked Jessica as she folded her arms.  
"Yeah...I'm sorry for barging in but I had no idea where else I could go," said Jonah sighing.

Jessica shook her head but turned to Warren and smiled at him. He gave a nod in response.

"Did you see anyone else around before you got here?" she asked.

Jonah shook his head. Jessica nodded slowly before changing the subject, knowing full well that he likely had bad memories.

"Where are you from Jonah?" she asked.  
"Jamaica," he replied.

She smiled; that completely explained his exotic accent.

"Alright well you go ahead and get some rest; you still look very tired," she said.

Jonah nodded before going back to the couch he was sleeping on. Jessica rubbed her eyes before returning to bed; after a day as long as yesterday, she wanted to sleep longer than just to 6 AM. She returned to see Takeda sat up looking towards the door. His eyes were red from exhaustion.

"Why did you wake up so early?" she asked.

A tinge of pink appeared on his cheeks.

"It got...much colder when you weren't in my arms," he said softly.

She blushed profusely at his words but rejoined him in the bed before allowing him to encircle his arms around her. He was still hesitating to touch her, which puzzled her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He was silent for a few moments before she heard him take a heavy breath.

"Should we keep this a secret?" he asked.

Jessica looked at him with a thoughtful expression.

"I'm sure your sister wouldn't mind as well as the majority of the group...apart from Sam," said Jessica.

Takeda raised his eyebrow.

"Why would she be against it?" he asked.

Jessica made a sound that was half way between a laugh and a scoff.

"Haven't you seen the way she looks at you?" she asked.

"Why would I be looking at her when I have you?" he asked solemnly.

She was taken aback by his sudden compliment.

"But I know one reason why it would be a bad idea," he continued in a suddenly serious tone.

Her mood instantly shifted from flattered to curious.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well two reasons: Berkley and our stalker," said Takeda.

"Stalker?" she asked.

"There's an assassin who makes his home here, he calls himself Loki," he explained.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"...I dueled him." he said looking toward his sword.

She looked at him in disbelief.

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"If I didn't do it...he would've killed Sera and Olivia," he said.

Jessica looked down.

"Maybe it'd be better if we kept it under wraps then..." she said as she lay a hand on his cheek.

He looked at her with a blank expression but nodded.

"What do we do about Loki?" she asked.

"We can't do anything about him right now...we'll just have to move on," he said.

"Is he really that intimidating?" she asked.

"Believe me...if I didn't train for my entire life there's no way in hell I could've beat him and even with all the training, it took me fifteen minutes to win and I'm positive he was toying with me," explained Takeda.

She nodded before laying down on her back. He followed her but didn't put his arms around her. Noticing his state of mind, she crawled on top of him and lay her head on his chest.

"Go back to sleep...I'm right here," she whispered.

She kissed his cheek before he closed his eyes and slowly allowed himself to drift off.

In The Kitchen

"We need more drinking water," said Sera as she examined the stores.

"I can't believe that the one thing we didn't get in Publix was the thing we need most," said Shia with an annoyed tone in her voice.

"Alright let's go and make it quick because we need to get to work on a plan to move onto another location," said Daniel.

"Why not just stay here?" asked Olivia.

"Because I need a real laboratory to continue my research," said Berkley.

Olivia sighed deeply but nodded.

"We'll stay for another week before we move out but for now, we need to make sure that nothing bad happens before we move on," said Daniel with a now serious tone.

Berkley cleared his throat.

"At the rate this is going right now, I'll be able to decipher the files and gather what I need from them in about four days of dedicated work before I'll need more things from an Umbrella database," he explained.

"Where are we going to find more files?" asked Daniel.

Berkley pointed to a location on the map.

"There's a facility on the outskirts of this town and there's also a residential complex nearby so we can stay there until I get everything I need," he continued.

"Why didn't you get everything you need at the Destrite lab?" asked Shia.

"Umbrella spreads it's files between it's facilities but this one here is kind of like a master library so to speak so if there's one place I can find all of the files, it's that one," he finished.

Daniel ran his finger from their current location to the marked location before rolling his eyes up in a thoughtful expression.

"That flight will be about six hours, with a full tank of gas we can reach there no problems at the airport in town and we can drive the rest of the way," said Daniel.

"Wait a minute...isn't that Ventor Town?" asked Olivia.

Daniel nodded as he noticed the name on the map.

"I know my way around that place so we'll be fine," she said.

Daniel smiled before picking up the keys.

"Is Jess up yet?" he asked.

"Nope," said Angela as she walked downstairs.

"Well good morning sunshine," said Daniel with a smirk on his face.

Angela snorted before flicking him in the head.

"What's the plan today?" she asked.

"We need water so we have to make a trip to Publix," said Shia.

"Oh? Sounds like fun! I'm in!" said Angela.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Alright, let's go then," said Daniel.

Sera suddenly stepped up.

"Can I come as well?" she asked.

"Sure! The more the merrier!" he said.

The three of them walked out the door.

"So...who's up for a movie?" asked Olivia.

Everyone nodded at her suggestion as they walked to the room but Berkley declined.

"Gotta get back to work if I'm going to be on time for our departure," said Berkley.

With a mutual nod, he left the room but a wicked smile appeared on his face unknown to all of them.

"Things just keep getting better and better..." he thought to himself as he shut his door behind him.


	22. Journal Log 3

**(A/N): Another log! Haven't done one in a while now that I think about it because I've been so caught up in writing the main story. Well! Thatshallbe remedied now!****  
**

**Pretty sure you guys want to know what's going through everyone's heads after all the crap that's happened.**

**So it begins!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Journal Log #3: Berkley Stern**

**Journal Entry #72**

_July 27th 2013_

_I can't believe we actually went to that blasted hotel in search of more pests to interfere with my plans. It was a good thing that they all fell for that trick of the survivors being infected. Travis was very important for my plan to have worked but for some reason, it worked even better than I thought it would because he actually killed all of them of his own accord. I will admit it was a tad disturbing that he did it with such sadistic pleasure but I suppose everyone has their dark side._

_Alas I have done all that I can do with the files from Destrite but the lab had much more for me to work with. I'm getting close...very close to developing the formula to grant immunity to the virus though I will need test subjects. I am sure that some of those fools will make very good subjects...perhaps Takeda should be first because that kid needs to go._

_He's just been a saving grace for everyone and now at least three of the women in the group are just drooling over him but it matters not; when I'm done with him there will be nothing to rejoice over. He and that accursed little sister of his both need to be removed from the equation but with the much larger group size I need to be more discreet than ever before. SEVEN's fondness of that girl makes it even more difficult now that he knows how to use a great portion of his powers to full effect. Even though I'm the one who saved him from those bastards at Neo Umbrella, so much as attempting to kill her will trigger that temper of his._

_On a side note...Angela and I have drawn closer this past week. She hasn't really given me that dark aura that only I seem to bring out amongst everyone and she seems like she genuinely enjoys spending time with me. Perhaps...perhaps I can delay the plans to killing them until I've completed my research in which case I will have no further use for them. Then again...I want those women..._

_Jessica is undoubtedly the hottest of all of them but I'd be damned if I didn't say that all of them weren't attractive. Apart from Angela's feisty and outright hilarious disposition, the other women definitely had their ups. Olivia is just plain intelligent and that is always a plus for me, Seraphina is undoubtedly the most exotic one of them all which makes her very unique and Samantha...definitely the second best of them all. Alas, my urges will have to wait for another day...but they will be mine._

_Another log shall be made accordingly. I will have to start being careful when I write these things considering Angela now sleeps in the same room as me and I'll be damned if she sees what I'm writing._

_Until next terms._

_Berkley Stern._


	23. Diary Log 8

**(A/N): Holy crap I have a lot of logs to write xD. It's all good though cause I am having a TON of fun doing it. About two more before I get back to the action. Pretty sure you all want to hear what this character has to say!**

**By the way I thought I'd take the time to announce somethinthingies thing is that as of now, you guys have given me over 70 reviews and nearly 2000 views in a bit over a two weeks of posting. I want to say thanks to everyone who's contributed and all you loyal RE fans out there who give me the motivation to write this. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate the support.**

**Anyway enough with my praise. On with the log!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #3: Jessica Williams**

**Diary Entry # 7**

_July 21st 2013_

_It's been a week since we all came together and also quite a while since I've written an entry. Our group is now 13 strong though I'm kind of annoyed that the balance of guys and girls is sort of disrupted but I guess beggars can't be choosers. Still...I kind of liked it when it was even so there isn't an overwhelming amount of testosterone to deal with on a day to day basis. Danny and Berkley are enough to deal with to be honest._

_This Jonah guy is actually pretty nice. He's hilarious and he really enjoys telling stories from his time back in Jamaica. I had to admit that there was some things he said that I had to ask him to repeat because the way that Jamaicans spoke sometimes was very confusing. He really seems to take a liking to us the women so I guess he and Berkley had something in common. I'm very sure Berkley is annoyed because despite Jonah's stories, Berkley hated people who were intelligent enough to have an actual intellectual conversation with. I'm pretty glad to welcome him into the group though I really don't want him to start hitting on me...or anyone for that matter; he strikes me as the lecherous type who just loved girls for what's in between their legs and everything below the chin._

_Speaking of men...I've really grown close to Takeda. It's now a habit that I sleep in his room rather than with Danny though I kind of balance it so he doesn't get suspicious about anything. Danny and Takeda e friends but Danny is really protective sometimes. I know he said he wouldn't mind but I'm sure he only said that because he was tired of me being the cold fish that I've been throughout my entire life. One thing that would really set Danny off is that Takeda kissed me already...then I'm pretty sure he'd blow up, especially on me because we've been keeping it a secret. It's ridiculously hard to keep myself from showing my feelings about him around the others though; I just can get over how comfortable he makes me feel. He listens to me and he actually knows what I'm talking about a lot of the time. One thing I definitely love about him is how shy he is. Sure he kissed me himself a few times but I literally had to be up in his face about it but he only does that because he's completely clueless about this kind of thing and he doesn't want to impose. Guess whoever said chivalry is dead hasn't met him before!_

_We're going to be moving out to the next town in a few days and thanks to our trips at the beginning of our stay, we haven't had to venture out into the town at all. I guess it was as safe as we were gonna get from the infected and also from this mysterious Loki person. He's been leaving notes all over the place that seem to address Takeda specifically but they're usually warnings about overstepping our boundaries and also for getting in his way. Still, Loki seems to have a respect for him judging from the way Olivia and Sera described their encounter with him so I guess he wouldn't make any drastic moves...then again, he's an assassin and killing comes naturally to him like breathing._

_Time to rest up because I'm sure that in three days, we wouldn't be getting a nice break like we did here...especially if it's near a Neo Umbrella facility._

_Till next time._

_Jessie._


	24. Diary Log 9

**(A/N): Last log before I get back to the story guys! Promise! I just did three story chapters with no logs and I have to do some else I ruin the tradition! I'm sure you guys have been interested to hear from this character as well. If not...GET INTERESTED! XP**

**Anyways, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Samantha Price**

**Diary Entry # 6**

_July 21st 2013_

_I'm happy to have found friends like the ones I have right now. I don't regret sneaking onto that plane with Olivia and Sera though I felt kind of bad that Jessie really let Dan have it when he screamed at him about how dangerous it was. That's Jessica for you! Always like our mother. Shia and her were like the dynamic duo when it came to worrying and being motherly; I can't begin to count the number of times Shia forcibly made Angela and Takeda not cook because she wanted to and whenever Jessie saw one of us come inside late...boy was it a funny but also slightly annoying sight._

_Things were going great thus far and all we're waiting for now as for Berkley to wrap up his research so we can move onto Ventor Town. I asked Olivia how she knew about that place and she told me that she went there once because a friend told her how nice it was to stay at their hotels. I guess it was a bad idea to go there because it's likely got a ton of those things wandering about looking for people to have for dinner. I wasn't very scared though because as far as defending ourselves went, we lacked nothing in that department._

_Jessie and Dan were soldiers, I'm a medic who actually bothered to learn how to use a weapon and then there was Takeda. He's so damn good with that sword of his and he knows how to aim and shoot a gun quite well for someone who has never had formal training. If that wasn't enough, he knows enough martial art styles to kill someone in hundreds of different ways. He's so...**hot**. He's hands down the most attractive guy in our group and I hope I can get to know him better. I have however noticed that Jessie has been spending a lot of time with him...but then again he was injured almost all the time she's been with him and since she was the lightest sleeper (god you can drop a freaking pin in the room and she'll jolt awake) and I guess if Takeda groaned or something, she'd be the one who can best help him. Times like this I wish I was the one who slept in his room so I could take care of him..._

_I have no idea what draws me in when it comes to him. Maybe it was the fact that he's so noble about everything or maybe it was his dedication to Dhia. I swear there's no one I've ever met that would go so far to save his family. He left Olivia and Sera because he didn't want anything to happen to them and fought a Tyrant by himself knowing full well that there was no way he would be able to win. That kind of dedication is something I find ridiculously attractive in a man...and boy has he got me in his hands like clay. Sometimes I even wondered how his lips feel...whoa I gotta stop this. Now isn't the time to be fantasizing._

_We've got to head out in a few days and I need to ensure that everyone's 100%. Takeda's cuts have healed very nicely from that encounter with that thing back at Destrite but that huge hit he took from the Tyrant really rattled his body and reopened a few of the cuts but thanks to me, those cuts have sealed up again. Sometimes I really would like if he wasn't so reckless..._

_That Jonah guy is rather healthy. He runs so damn fast that I'm surprised he needed help from Warren. Just about everyone has been healthy with the exception of Jessie and Shia. Shia came back to the penthouse after a short trip to the supermarket with Olivia and Jessie feeling a bit under the weather. After checking her, she had a stomach bug from eating something though I had no idea what it was considering she eats like a hippie. Takeda asked me to take care of her so I guess I'm stuck with her...not that I'm complaining. She's like the little sister I never had._

_We had a conversation about her past and also Takeda's past and she filled me in on just about everything. The part that shocked me the most was probably the fact that Takeda never dated a girl in his entire life. A guy that damn handsome and that damn nice never had a girlfriend? ...maybe I can change that._

_Anyway...enough about my thoughts for now. I actually thought I lost this thing but I guess it's a good way to vent. Till next time._

_Sam._


	25. Goodbye Pruinato

**(A/N): Hello people! Time to continue the story! Sorry if the three logs in a row upset anyone but I really thought they were overdue! Anyway, time to continue the main story. I'm gonna post up a few polls soon so be sure to vote! I'd also like to apologize for the ridiculous typos you guys have probably noticed as of late (iPod touch auto correct is a bitch sometimes -_-). I'll try to edit the chapters once I get to a computer but until then, sorry for the typos that may be present here!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Goodbye Pruinato**

"Everyone saddled up?" asked Daniel.

Everyone turned to him before nodding. With a proud smile, he opened the map once again.

"Ventor Town here we come!" he said with a smile.  
"We're going to need another car," said Olivia.  
"Got it covered my dear," said Berkley.

They turned around to see him elbow one of the car windows before opening the door and getting in. Within seconds, the engine sprang to life.

"Guess that takes care of that problem," said Angela nonchalantly.  
"Let's get going people we're burning daylight here people," said Daniel.

Travis rolled his eyes as he got into the driver's seat of one of the cars.

"We're going to be in the air so why does it matter if we burn daylight," said Travis with a sarcastic tone.

Daniel ignored him before getting into the car and they made their way towards the airport.

**In Jessica's Car**

Takeda was fast asleep with his head against the window. Angela drove the car while Olivia rode shotgun. Jessica sat beside Takeda in the middle and Shia was asleep on the other side.

"Guess these kids barely ever get restful sleep eh princess?" asked Angela.  
"I guess not," said Jessica with a slight laugh.

Angela looked at the mirror to see Takeda out cold and smiled evilly. She tooka turn much wider than she needed to and Takeda fell onto Jessica's lap. He surprisingly didn't wake up. Jessica's face turned into a tomato and she growled at Angela.

"That's not funny," she growled.  
"Really? I think it's outright hilarious!" said Angela.

Olivia turned around and snickered at Jessica's face. When the laughter died down, Jessica looked at his face. It was so peaceful and it really seemed as if he was really getting restful sleep at this very moment. She allowed one of her hands to ghost over his cheek and run into his hair. She suddenly felt a hand enclose around her free hand. She then realized that he woke up but played possum to fool Angela and Olivia. His hand held hers and was hidden beneath the seat. With a smile, she squeezed his hand.

**In Daniel's Car**

"I spy with my little eyes something...blue," said Daniel.  
"Lemme guess...the sky?" said Sam.

He shook his head before looking at Sera.

"That's the only thing that's blue here Dan..." said Sera.  
"Nope! There's one other thing!" he said with a smile.

Sera shook her, utterly clueless as to what he was talking about.

"Your eyes," he said as he looked at Sera.

She blushed profusely but turned away. He thankfully didn't notice the shade of crimson.

"Smooth," said Jonah rolling his eyes.

Daniel simply grinned.

"Hey guys! Is that someone over there?" said Sam.

Everyone looked to the right at the desert like area to see a person stumbling towards the road gripping their arm. From the looks of it, that person was extremely exhausted to the point of passing out at any given time.

"Guys, we've got a survivor on the side," said Daniel.

They stopped the head of the convoy and Sam quickly jumped out of the car. She ran to then lone person before they collapsed onto her. The person was a woman. Sam quickly ran back into the car before getting three bottles of water from the trunk.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Daniel.  
"She's very dehydrated and she's got a few cuts all over her body," said Sam.

She shoved a bottle into Travis's hand.

"Make sure she downs all of it," she ordered.

Travis nodded and slowly began to pour the cool liquid down the woman's throat. Sam immediately got to work on the many cuts and bruises she had. She managed to clean all of the cuts that were visible and she bandaged all of them.

"We're out of medical supplies as of now...so everyone needs to be careful until we can refill," said Sam into the radio.

The convoy continued its trek towards the airport.

**One Hour Later**

"Oh no..." said Shia.

Everyone looked in horror at the entrance to the runway which was now guarded by several men heavily armed with rifles. Angela cursed loudly.

"Four of them and there's bound to be more of them around," said Jessica.  
"What are we going to do?" asked Jonah.  
"We need a distraction," said Daniel.

Berkley looked up and smiled as if a light bulb just appeared over his head.

"I have an idea Angela come with me,"" he said as he ran off.

She nodded and followed him.

"Think they're with Loki?" asked Jessica.  
"I doubt it; Loki seems like the type who works alone," said Takeda.  
"Guys...we've got bigger problems," said Daniel as he looked through a pair of binoculars.

He pointed towards the entrance of the building and saw that the door that was barricaded was beginning to rip off of it's hinges.

"Those guys must've barricaded those things inside the main building...at this rate they'll be out in minutes," said Daniel.  
"Then we need to get into the air before any of that happens," said Olivia.

_"Come in Jessie,"_ said Angela through the radio.  
"Loud and clear," she replied.  
_"Berkley and I managed to set up an explosion to distract the guards so once you hear it go off and they move to check, get onto that plane ASAP," _said Angela.  
"What about you two?" asked Jessica.  
_"We'll be fine,"_ said Angela with a proud tone.  
"Be careful Angie," said Jessica.  
_"Will do princess, get ready to_ move,"

She cut the line off and within minutes, a deafening explosion thundered throughout the airport. As Angela predicted, the guards scrambled towards the source of the explosion. Within a few seconds, the guards were gone and to their surprise, Berkley and Angela returned.

"Told you we'd be alright," said Angela with a snicker.  
"Those idiots forgot to unload their cars with all the live ammunition inside so it was easy to blow them up," said Berkley with a proud smile.  
"For once I'm glad that you have an evil mind buddy," said Daniel.  
"You're too kind lad," said Berkley in a proud tone.

The group quickly made their way towards the plane. The men loaded as all the supplies they took with them while the women stood watch. Unfortunately, the distraction didn't keep the guards off for long and they soon returned.

"KILL THEM ALL!" shouted one of the guards.  
"Everyone on board now! " shouted Angela.

Gunfire erupted throughout the airport as they ran as fast as they could to get on board their plane.

"How the hell did they know?" shouted Berkley.  
"They must've realized because their car was in such an inconspicious location," said Sera.

Unfortunately, Jessica got hit in her leg and she fell to the ground. Angela got hit in her arm and Sera got hit in her shoulder.

"Jessie!" screamed Daniel.

Takeda reacted almost instantly and ran to her side before picking her up and carrying her to the plane. Berkley to everyone's surprise picked up Angela and Daniel quickly ran to Sera and got her into the plane.

"We're out of medical supplies?" asked Takeda.  
"There's more in the cargo area but we won't be able to open it with all this fucking gunfire," said Sam.

Takeda looked at Jessica as she screamed in agony from the bullets there were lodged in her leg as well as the others.

"Start the plane and give me some time," said Warren suddenly.

He walked outside, seemingly not even phased by the massive amount of gunfire.

"Are you crazy kid? You'll get turned to Swiss Cheese!" said Jonah.  
"Close the doors and stay away from the windows so none of you will be hit, I'll be back quickly," he said with a determined tone.

He was about to move until Shia grabbed him in an embrace from behind.

"Be careful..." she whispered.  
"I'll be fine," he whispered back.

Everyone got inside and closed the door. Warren clenched his fists.

"...No one hurts my friends," he said with an angry look on his face.

He zipped towards the source of the gunfire almost unnoticed with his extreme speed before clobbering one of the men with his fist. He quickly vanished and knocked out three others before grabbing one of them by the throat.

"Where did you hide the medical supplies?" he demanded.  
"I'm not telling you anything you freak!" spat the man.  
"Wrong answer," said Warren as he tossed the man into a wall before grabbing him by the throat before he could hit the ground.  
"I'm only going to ask one more time, where are the medical supplies?" he demanded again.

The man weakly pointed at a large chest. Warren tossed him aside and lifted the box with a single arm and zipped back the to plane. At that moment, the door bursted open and to Warren's surprise, three Tyrants began to make their way towards the plane.

"Open the door now!" he said into the radio.

The door opened and he pretended to have problems moving the chest.

"I got it kid," said Jonah.

He pulled the chest into the plane before Daniel began to drive towards the runway.

"We need to get out of here before those things get to us otherwise we're as good as dead," said Warren.

Takeda looked outside to see the same huge monsters that attacked him in the hotel and his eyes widened.

"Daniel! Double time!" shouted Olivia.

Daniel seemed to responded when the plane picked up more speed before finally, he took off leaving the three monsters behind.

"How did you manage to get over there without getting shot?" asked Jonah.  
"I'm a lot faster than I look," he replied as he walked into a bedroom.  
"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking! Thank you for once again choosing Williams Airlines! Please sit back and relax and celebrate not getting killed by those G.I Joe wannabes," said Daniel into the intercom.

With that, everyone turned their attention to the injured and the still unconscious woman.


	26. The Engineer

**(A/N): So did everyone enjoy the last one? I certainly did! Well, here's the next installment! Hope you all enjoy this! Oh and the full character roster is now on the profile page for all to see. Check it out! I've also posted some polls on my profile so start voting ASAP!**

**I'm also looking for more characters to make cameos so don't think submission time is over! Keep em coming people!**

**Anyways, enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: The Engineer**

"The bullets are still inside Jessie you have to stay still," said Sam.

Bloodcurdling screams accompanied the next twenty minutes as Sam did her best to extract the bullet. The pressure Jessica had on Takeda's hand completely cut off circulation but he didn't care as he did his best to comfort her. Sam had already dealt with Angela and Sera but Jessica sustained multiple gunshot wounds rather than one or two. Sam was very surprised that she was able to stay so tough before the removal process began. After nearly an hour, she managed to remove all of the bullets. She disinfected all of the wounds before handing Takeda the large roll of bandages. The door opened and Daniel walked inside.

"How's everyone else holding up?" asked Sam as she wiped her hands from all the blood from Jessica's wounds.  
"Angela's already up and about but Sera's still asleep," replied Daniel.  
"Well Sera got a very hard hit to the shoulder so she'd naturally be out longer," she replied.  
"How's Jessie?" he continued.  
"Well I managed to remove all of the bullets but she's in so much pain that I had to put her out for a while so she'll probably wake up when we land," said Sam.  
"Anything major?" asked Daniel.  
"Well she's gonna need a solid week just to be able to move freely again," said Sam.

Takeda's eyes narrowed as he rose to his feet.

"This wasn't planned at all...now we have to sit and wait for everyone to recuperate before we can do anything about the facility," said Takeda.

He had a point; Jessica was by far the best marksman in the group, Angela was a close second and Sera was incredibly intelligent with her tactical approach to virtually everything.

"So what do you suggest we do?" asked Daniel.  
"Move into the residential complex and lay low until everyone's back to a bearable state," he replied.  
"Berkley's not going to be amused by this development," said Sam.  
"Unless he wants to go there by himself and get mauled by whatever the hell is out there, he's going to have to cooperate," said Daniel.

The cold tone in his voice showed that at this point, Berkley was irrelevant.

"I'll stay in the cockpit and watch the flight, call me if anything comes up," said Daniel.

He walked out of the room and Takeda began to leave.

"Takeda? Can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Sam.  
"Sure," he replied.

He followed her out of the room.

**Inside Angela's Roo****m**

Berkley examined Angela's wounds before sighing to himself.

"What's the matter?" she asked.  
"With you in this state I don't think it will be a wise idea to go to the facility until you're better," he said.  
"I'm a tough lass," said Angela with a chuckle.  
"Try telling that to the potentially large number of BOWs we'll likely encounter at the facility," said Berkley.  
"If it's necessary for your research then I think it's worth the risk; if you come up with a cure for this thing then we never have to kill another infected person who hasn't turned again," she explained.

Berkley was silent for a moment.

"I don't recall asking what you think," said Berkley.

Angela felt a pang of anger course through her.

"I can wait a week or two until all of us are well again because the last thing I would want is for all of us to die trying to get our hands on a goddamn data stick," said Berkley.

"Thought you were tougher than that smart guy," said Angela.

"Usually yes but considering that our best marksman, the tactical genius and the Irish hothead are down for the count, our chances of surviving aren't very good," said Berkley.

Angela scoffed.

"When are you going to admit that you're genuinely worried about us?" asked Angela.

Berkley rose to his feet.

"I'm getting some food," he said.

As he reached the door, he stopped for a moment.

"I'm not worried about the others, I'm worried about you," he said.

Before Angela could retort, he left the room.

**Inside Another Bedroom**

"How's Sera?" asked Daniel.

"She'll be fine but what I really want to know is who this chick is," said Sam pointing at the still unconscious woman.

As if on cue, the woman stirred awake.

"So the sleeping beauty awakens!" said Daniel with a smile.

And what a beauty she was. She had smooth dark tan skin, a nice slender body, short pixie cut hair with blonde highlights

The girl looked at him blankly before shaking her head.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"On a plane heading towards Ventor Town," replied Olivia.

The girl turned to look at her in the corner beside Sera's bed.

"What's your name?" asked Sam.

"Kai...Kai Vega," she replied.

Within five seconds after her introduction, Sera opened her eyes.

"Nice name...wait a minute, Kai Vega as in the NYU star Kai Vega?" she asked.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"I used to be a teacher and believe me, your engineering grades get around a lot," she replied.

"So you know what makes everything tick huh?" asked Daniel.

She nodded and Daniel smiled.

"Mind teaching me a thing or two?" he asked with a wink.

She shyly smiled and nodded.

"What happened to you? We found you practically dead in the outskirts of Pruinato," asked Sam.

"...I was running away from the infected and these...men," she replied.

"Men? What men?" asked Sam.

"Some guys dressed up like soldiers found me in the place I was hiding and wanted me to join their group...but they were slaughtering innocent people so I refused and I've been on the run since," she explained.

"Why were they so hellbent on getting you?" asked Sera.

"Because I know how to fix a lot of things and because I'm one of the best tech specialists you'll ever meet," she explained.

"Not to mention really cute," said Daniel with a wink.

Sera felt a pang of jealousy course through her veins but she ignored it.

"You're too kind..." she said blushing and turning away.

"So what's your story Miss Vega?" asked Sam.

She seemed to warm up as she strode to Sera's bed and sat in the middle of the group. She began to tell them everything.

**In The Passenger Aisle**

"You alright?" asked Shia.

Warren snapped out of his train of thought and looked at her before absent mindedly nodding.

"...Why did you risk your life like that?" asked Shia.

He was still silent as he turned to look out of the window.

"I didn't want anyone to die..so I acted," he said softly.

"You also risked revealing what you are to everyone," she said.

"If I didn't do it then we'd have three less friends here," he snapped at her.

He had no idea why he got so irritated all of a sudden. Shia sat beside him.

"Why do you stay with Berkley?" she asked.

"Because I would be dead if it weren't for him," he explained.

"I don't think that's all there is to this...Berkley doesn't seem like the kind of man that would do something for someone without expecting a lot or more in return," she said.

"As far as I know he's completely focused on that research of his," he said.

Shia looked at him, scanning for lies but she detected none.

"Why does it matter what he wants?" asked Warren.

"Because I don't think it's a coincidence that my brother was attacked in an Umbrella facility that was seemingly abandoned and neither of you suffered the same fate," said Shia.

"I don't know what happened to Takeda back there but all I know is that Berkley needed the files from there to continue his research," he said.

Again she found no lies in his voice.

"Whatever Berkley wants doesn't matter to me as long as he's trying to helping his own way...if he starts to go crazy then I'll put him in his place just as much as anyone else would," said Warren.

Shia nodded at his words and got up to leave but his hand shot out and grabbed hers.

"Stay," he said.

With a warm smile, she joined him in his seat.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"...I'm not proud of what I am...and I know that once everyone discovers what I am I won't be welcome here anymore," he said softly.

"That may be true but people are very understanding sometimes...especially since you have the power to kill anyone here if you felt like it but you instead chose to help us," she said.

His eyes widened as she lowered his hood. Those red eyes were evident again and he turned away.

"I'm a monster..." he said.

"Look at me," she whispered.

He reluctantly did as she wished and he felt warm lips against his cheek before she lowered her head to his chest.

"You have a heart...and you won't hurt me...you're not a monster," she said.

Whole new feelings surfaced in his mind. He had no idea how to describe them and he was dumbfounded. Despite killing all those monsters in the hotel, killing the monsters to save Jonah and even killing the men at the airport, she still thought of him as her friend and she wasn't afraid of him. He lifted his kegs onto the seat and lay down as she crawled and lay on top of him.

"With a heart as real as yours...it's hard to believe that you're not human," she whispered.

His eyes narrowed and a single arm wrapped itself around her back as silence took hold of the room. He looked down at her sleeping form before smiling to himself.

_"Thank you..."_

**Inside The Food Storage Closet**

"What's wrong?" asked Takeda.

"I just wanted to talk to you," replied Sam.

She took out the mugs that were in the microwave and handed one to Takeda as they sat on the floor. They slowly sipped the hot chocolate that Sam prepared.

"How close are you and Jessie?" asked Sam.

Takeda was silent for a few seconds.

"We're friends since we met more than a week ago," he replied.

"How did you two meet?" she asked.

"I saved her and Daniel from a psychopath," he replied.

"They needed help? I thought they were-" she replied.

"Don't ask," said Takeda with a soft chuckle.

She laughed softly at his comment.

"Why are you so curious about us?" he asked.

"You two are practically inseparable," she replied.

"We've been taking care of each other because for some odd reason, one of us always seems to be sick and or injured," he said.

She laughed again.

"How are your cuts by the way? I haven't checked them today," she said.

"I haven't felt much pain from them at all," he said.

"Let me take a look," she said.

He rose to his feet before removing the shirt he was wearing. Sam was astonished. His cuts were all in the scab stage though she noticed a particular one on his chest that she didn't notice before. Her hand ran across it.

"How did you get this?" she asked.

"Fighting off hostile men," he replied.

She could only imagine the pain that cut out him through. She knew it was done with a machete after having treated so many similar injuries in her time. She found herself staring at his toned body and she felt that extreme blush come back again just like when he first thanked her.

"Samantha?" he said noticing her long pause.

He was silenced immediately with a deep kiss. His eyes shot open wide and as quickly as the contact was made, it vanished. She then looked at him for a few seconds and realized his state of silence.

"I...like you a lot..." she whispered.

The silence grew thicker with every passing moment before Takeda looked at her.

"I...I'm sorry...but I cannot give you what you seek...if I had met you first then...maybe but...I'm sorry Samantha," he said closing his eyes.

It tore him apart to break her heart like that but he knew that if he didn't, she would continue to hope. He had to be honest that if he didn't meet Jessica first, he would've had no qualms with her.

"I'm sorry...I didn't know..." she said.

She could feel the tears well up in her eyes. She felt his hands hold hers.

"You're a beautiful woman and I know there's someone for you out there, your kindness is something that any red blooded man would kill for in a woman and you have a pure heart," he said.

She bit her bottom lip before raising her head to look at him.

"If I can't ever be with you...can you do me one thing?" she asked.

His eyes reflected his willingness to try to help.

"I've...never truly felt how it is to have a first kiss...all I want is a kiss...a real one that isn't one sided," she said.

His eyes narrowed.

"I won't tell Jessica...please...I know you feel something for me..." she whispered.

She was right about that. Throughout the past week if he wasn't spending his time with Jessica, he was spending it with her. He had definitely gotten closer to her than anyone else apart from Olivia who was her best friend. He had grown fond of her and treasured her as a friend. At the same time...he knew that if he did this, it could never be undone. If Jessica found out about any of this she would drop her feelings in a heartbeat.

"I...I do feel something...but I'm not willing to risk what Jessica and I have," he said.

He hugged her gently before leaving the closet, leaving her to her thoughts.


	27. Welcome To Ventor Town

**(A/N): Still waiting on them votes people! Hope you're all enjoying it so far...ehh I've said it all before so I'll just cut to the chase. Also, I've got an announcement at the end of the chapter. It's just an idea that a friend of mine told me about and I'm considering giving it a shot here! Let me know what you guys think about it in PMs or heck even in the reviews! And I mean it guys!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Welcome To Ventor Town**

"Get the injured to the complex, we'll hold them off as best as we can," said Jonah.

Daniel paused for a brief moment before Jonah snapped him out of his trance with a hard slap to his head.

"What the fuck are you waiting for! Get going! That barricade's not gonna hold em much longer!" screamed Jonah.

Daniel reluctantly opened the bus door and everyone boarded and quickly peeled out. Jonah turned to face the oncoming infected before looking at Takeda.

"Guess this is pretty bad huh?" he asked.  
"It's very likely that we won't make it out of this one," said Takeda.  
"Regret anything?" asked Jonah.

Takeda's thoughts immediately shifted to his little sister who would no longer have him around if he were to fall now. They then switched to Jessica who was still quite injured.

"We're going to make it out of here despite the odds; we have to," said Takeda as he raised his gun.  
"Time to nut up or shut up!" said Travis lifting his shotgun.

The roars and and growls of the oncoming BOWs grew louder as the three men steadied their aim towards the large door. Within minutes, the doors burst open.

**Two Hours Earlier**

_"Ladies and gentlemen we have arrived at our destination! Please have caution when exiting the aircraft as there is a slight chance of flesh eating super freak in the near future, thank you for choosing Williams Airlines and please do enjoy your stay in Ventor Town!"_

Takeda rolled his eyes at Daniel's almost routine wise-crack. He turned to Jessica and found that she was still fast asleep; the morphine dosage that Sam gave her an hour ago still had her out cold. He gently nudged her awake and she turned to him. She looked very happy to see him.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.  
"Not really feeling anything at all to be honest," she replied in a very relaxed tone.

Takeda smiled.

"I guess I did a good job with the bandaging," he said.

Jessica blushed profusely at his words. He noticed it before raising a hand.

"Don't worry I behaved so whenever I ran into a part that was not for my eyes I had Sam do it," he said.

She sighed in what seemed to be relief.

"So what's the plan now?" she asked.  
"I'm not sure yet because we just landed so we probably have to wait an hour or two while the other scout the area," he said.  
"Doesn't Berkley know his way around here?" she asked.  
"Yeah he does but there's a lot of infected in this town so we have to be careful about what we do from now on," he explained.  
"How much are we talking here?" she asked.

He pointed to the window and to her shock, there were massive numbers of zombies pressing against the fences surrounding the runway.

"How the fuck are we going to get through all of that?" she asked.  
"Daniel's working on something," he replied.

She tried to get up but winced in pain.

"I guess the morphine is wearing off, lay down for now," he asked.

The sincerity in his voice calmed her anger at herself for being unable to do anything on her own as she sank back down. He rose to his feet but she quickly grabbed his hand.

"Stay..." she asked.

He responded with a smile and climbing into the bed with her before wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said.

**In The Passenger Aisle**

"So what the hell are we going to do about those infected?" asked Sera.  
"We're going to have to clear them out before moving on," said Sam.

Daniel shook his head.

"We don't have the kind of ammo and firepower to kill that many of them because there's got to be thousands of those things outside," he said with a hollow tone.

That was the kind of voice that no one wanted to hear because it would make them lose hope but for once, he couldn't see a way out of a situation.

"We don't have to take down all of them...we can just clear a path," said Olivia.  
"But we can't just do that...we need to be able to get out of here," he said.

As if on cue, the radio went off.

_"Come in Daniel,"_ said Shia.  
"Loud and clear little lady what'd you two find?" he asked.  
_"Apparently the military made a stand in the bay area and we found a few humvees with weapons in there,"_ she said.

Daniel's face lit up and he couldn't help jerk his hand with a smile.

"That's great! Good work you two! Get back here so we can come up with a plan," he said.  
_"On our way,"_said Shia.

The radio cut off and Daniel turned to everyone who now had smiles on their faces; perhaps luck was on their side!

**One Hour Later**

"Everyone saddled up?" asked Daniel.

Travis nodded as he took the gunner seat of one of the humvees. Berkley took the driver's seat and honked enthusiastically.

"Ok we need to clear a straight path through; these humvess are very sturdy and whatnot but we can't just run them all over like they're just vegetables so use your shots sparingly; we have no idea what could be waiting for us once we reach the town," he said.

A mutual affirmative followed his order.

"Let's get going!" he said.

He revved the engine and drove towards the airport entrance. He used a grenade to blow the door open.

"Open fire!" he said into the radio.

The three humvees erupted into a massive hail of gunfire. Zombies in front of the gate were shredded like paper as the humvees sped towards the road outside. Several of the infected ran towards the vehicles but they all met their end at the front fenders.

"Berkley! You need to show us where to go!" said Daniel into the radio.  
_"Stay close lad and keep up!"_ he replied.

The front humvee turned off into an offroad path and the two others followed closely behind.

**Twenty Minutes Later**

"Quickly! Everyone in here!" shouted Travis.

The group ran as fast as they could away from the swarming undead. Once everyone was inside, Kai and Jonah sealed the door shut with as many large objects as they could find.

"So much for no resistance," said Angela with an irritated growl.

Takeda lowered Jessica into a chair after carrying her the entire way; she wasn't healed enough to be able to run effectively. She silently thanked him and he responded with a smile and a nod.

"What the hell are we going to do now? There's no way we can gun down all those fuckers," said Jonah.  
"We need to find a way to get to the complex, it's about fifteen blocks down from here and I'm betting all fifteen of those blocks are packed with those things," said Olivia.  
"If we still had the humvees then this wouldn't be a problem," said Daniel.  
"Well none of us expected two Tyrants and five Hunters to appear," said Berkley.

A mutual sigh filled the room.

"Where are we now anyways?" asked Sera.

Daniel took the time to ease her into a chair, being very careful with her shoulder.

"Inside an old garage," said Travis.

No one noticed when he left the room to look around.

"There are a few cars and trucks in there but I'm not sure if any of them are working," said Travis.  
"It's our best bet right now," said Kai.

They moved into the large garage area and Travis flicked the lights on. Most of the cars were still intact but none of them were the type that should be driven on a road teeming with zombies. Their eyes immediately drifted to an RV. Travis and Jonah seemed to be in sync as they examined the RV and looked at the other vehicles.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Jonah.  
"Oh yeah...I got ideas," said Travis.

The two men smiled before grabbing a tool cart.

"Why do they remind me of the Mythbusters?" asked Daniel with a smirk.  
"Travis is definitely Andy," said Angela with a chuckle.  
"I'll assist you two!" said Berkley as he zipped off.

Takeda watched as the three men began to take apart the surrounding vehicles and rose to his feet from his sitting position.

"I'm going to ensure they can't get inside," he said as he went back to the entrance to the building.

Olivia and Kai followed him. Jessica sighed deeply as she lay on the old couch that sat just above the car floor.

"Not liking being injured are you?" asked Shia.

Jessica turned to see the girl beside her.

"I hate being helpless...it's hand's down one of the worst feelings I've ever felt," she said.  
"You're just like him," said Shia.

She knew she was referring to her older sibling and she smiled.

"He's been spending a lot of time with you," noted Shia.  
"He's been taking care of me or the other way around because we seem to have that kind of rotten luck as of late," she said with a nervous laugh.

The girl laughed at the soldier's comment.

"I'm glad that he's loosening up," said Shia.

Jessica looked at her and sat up though it truly pained her to.

"You seem to be able to bring out that side of him...here I thought I was the only one who could do that," said Shia.

Jessica had no idea how to respond to that but she felt a blush creep onto her face and she quickly turned away in an effort to hide it from the girl. She was too late and Shia raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why are you blushing?" she asked.

Jessica lowered herself to the coach and shut her eyes.

"You kissed him?...didn't you?" she asked.

Jessica continued to be silent but the blush got deeper and Shia smiled brightly.

"You know I completely approve of this right?" she asked.

Jessica sat up and stared at her.

"I meant everything I said to you that night in the food closet you know...though I'm surprised you actually managed to get through to him," she said.  
"He actually...came to me first," she said.

Shia's eyes widened even more.

"Do tell," she said with a smile.

Jessica smiled and began to relay the events of that night.

* * *

**On The Car Floor- Two Hours Later**

"Gentlemen! We have done it!" said Berkley.  
"What exactly have you three done?" asked Sera sarcastically.

Jonah walked in front of the RV and pulled the large tarp from the top.

"I give you...the MARV!" he said proudly.

The three men had turned all of the car and truck scrap metal they took off and turned it into armor. The RV looked a lot more menacing and durable than when they first lay eyes on it. There was even a particularly large piece of metal that was fashioned into what looked like a battering ram.

"You do realize that this thing is going to move slower than evolution," aid Angela.

"Not with that engine in it," said Jonah as he pointed behind her with a wrench.

She turned around to see that the engine of a monster truck was missing.

"This thing will get us through as long as we don't stop and let them surround us," said Jonah.

As if on cue, loud banging was heard.

"I think they finally wised up and brought the stronger BOWs in," said Kai.

"Guess we finished just in time then," said Travis.

Takeda picked up Jessica again.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." she mumbled under her breath.

Everyone boarded the RV.

"Who's the best driver here?" asked Jonah.

Kai smiled and quickly took the wheel.

"Outta the way and strap up," she announced.

Everyone did just that. Warren held Shia's hand due to the RV lacking any other form of anchorage apart from the bars and he gripped the overhead bar tightly. With his superhuman strength, she felt comfortable in not being jerked around like a ragdoll if Kai decided to get fancy.

"Don't kill us all now you crazy lunatic! Remember that some of us are injured here," said Angela.

Jonah pressed the large button to open the garage door and quickly zipped inside before shutting the door. Kai didn't even wait for the door to fully open and floored the gas pedal as soon as she saw the opening become large enough to fit the hulking vehicle. The survivors immediately heard the sickening cracks of bones and squishing of flesh and organs as the RV ploughed through the undead ranks as they shambled mindlessly towards the loud sound of the engine. Kai followed Olivia's instructions as she guided her towards the complex. The ride was very rough though no one complained about Kai's aggressive driving skills. Jonah had to admit that she was probably their own Captain Niobe from The Matrix.

"We're getting near," said Olivia.

A tremendous thud on top of the RV roof frightened everyone.

"What the hell was that?" said Sam.

Long claws tore through the roof like paper. Berkley cursed loudly.

"Hunters!" he shouted.

Daniel and Takeda grabbed their weapons and as soon as the Hunter moved the metal apart, they fired relentlessly. The creature disappeared out of sight and the loud thud outside the window indicated it must've fallen off.

"SHIT!" shouted Kai.

She swerved out of the way of an oncoming seven Hunters and tried to regain control of the vehicle.

"This is bad...this is very bad," said Berkley.

"We're very close to the complex, we can lose them in those buildings over there and the complex is through an alley," said Olivia.

Kai floored the pedal again and rammed into two of the creatures. The men took their weapons and Sam held onto Jessica, knowing full well that he was a better shot than she was. Angela held onto Sera and Kai brought the RV to a top in front of an alley way in an almost perfect parallel parked position, blocking the alleyway from anything but those that could leap over the vehicle.

"Everybody move!" shouted Daniel.

The men ran outside and covered the unarmed as they scrambled down the alleyway as quickly as they could. They were thankful that this part of the town didn't have much zombies as not many people could afford to live in this part of the town. Sam however had to turn Jessica over to the care of Kai as some zombies blocked their path and she was the only one with firearm training available to shoot. The men opened fire on the pursuing Hunters as Sam did her best to clear the zombies out of their way.

"We need to get out of here now!" shouted Daniel.

Sam looked around and spotted a door.

"Quickly! Everyone in here!" she shouted.

She kicked the door open as the survivors poured inside. Travis and Jonah stayed behind at the door to try and kill as many of the pursuing BOWs as possible before they shut the door and bolted it. They quickly shoved several tables and chairs in front of the door before stepping back. Olivia ran back into the room after disappearing for several moments.

"Quickly! There's a way out of here and the complex is just ahead! There's a bus out on the road that seems to be functional!" she said.  
_"With so many of those things...there's no way in hell they'll make it there," _thought Jonah.

Jonah aimed his weapon at the door.

"What are you doing?" asked Kai.  
"Everyone go on ahead, I'm going to hold them off," he said.  
"WHAT?! Are you fucking mental?!" shouted Berkley.

Takeda looked at Jonah and saw the determination in his eyes. He was especially proud that Jonah was facing his fear of the undead rather than to run away and risk everyone getting hurt.

"You're not doing this alone," he said as he stepped beside him.

Jessica's eyes widened but she was too dosed up on morphine to say anything legible.

"Are you two crazy!" shouted Olivia.  
"Make that three," said Travis.

Travis looked towards the door and cocked his shotgun.

"We're going to buy time for you guys to escape; there's no way in hell we can get away unless we can slow them down," said Takeda.

Sam's eyes widened even more so than Jessica's.

"You guys can't hold them back!" she screamed.

A Hunter's hand busted through the door.

**Back To Present Time**

The doors revealed at least three dozen zombies trailing behind four Hunters. The men all felt fear travel down their spines but they knew that if they didn't slow them down, the rest of the survivors wouldn't be able to get away from the pursuing Hunters.

"OPEN FIRE!" shouted Travis.

The men unleashed a huge hail of gunfire from their weapons. Many of the zombies fell like flies but the Hunters were resilient against the assault and charged forward with ear-shattering roars. The men fell back through the exit, firing as much as the possibly could. Amidst the chaos, two of the Hunters fell to the floor after their legs were torn apart by the gunfire and once they were still, the men sighed in somewhat relief despite there being two others. Jonah ran out of his clip as did Travis.

"We can't reload with those things on us!" shouted Travis through the gunfire.

Takeda pulled out another pistol and started to target the Hunters with his shots, ignoring the still shambling zombies.

"Reload quickly! I can't give you much time!" he said as he moved forward.

The two men frantically tried to reload their weapons as Takeda unsheathed his sword as he ran towards the Hunters, firing as many shots as he could. One of the Hunters swung it's claws at his face and he just barely managed to duck under the blow that surely would've ended him. The only Hunter tried the same and he had no choice but to dive out of the way of the oncoming hand. One of the Hunters lunged at him and he took his chance as he plunged his sword deep into the abdomen of the Hunter. The Hunter screamed in agony and he rolled out of the way of it's last desperate attack before it began to slump to the ground. The other Hunter went into a frenzy upon seeing the other fatally wounded and swiftly struck Takeda with the back of it's huge hand, throwing him into the brick wall. He winced in pain and found that his body would not respond to his wanting to move. The Hunter raised it's hand to finish him and he closed his eyes, anticipating his doom. Suddenly, a tremendously loud shot echoed through the air and blood splattering onto his body. He looked up and saw a clean hole through the head of the Hunter as it dropped dead instantly. He looked towards his comrades and found that they had just finished reloading their weapons.

"Looked like you needed a hand so I suppose we're even now," said a voice.

Takeda looked towards the source to find none other than Loki himself.

"What the? How did you get here?" he demanded.  
"Do you ever check that plane's cargo bay?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Takeda growled and Loki simply raised his hands.

"I'm not going to hurt any of you, that was my thanks for taking me away from that place considering most of it's resources were already depleted and also, there's no work in a place with no human life apart from my own," he said with a cocky tone.

Takeda opened his mouth to retort but Loki raised a hand.

"I'd get going if I were you, I saw a lot more of those things coming," said Loki.

He then walked away as he slung his rifle over his shoulder.

Takeda looked at his friends before they heard roars in the distance.

"Let's get the hell outta here," said Jonah.

With a mutual nod, the three men made their way towards the complex.


	28. Diary Log 10

**(A/N): Another log! And I gotta apologize for the massive typos again. Typing with an iPad has been very hard. Anyway, I meant to post my idea that I mentioned at the end of this log but a typo left out the next. So terribly sorry for the mix up.**

**Anyways, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #3: Shia Yuen**

**Diary Entry #14**

_July 29th 2013_

_It's been a week since we moved into the residential complex in Ventor Town and for once, Berkley turned out to have a great idea. This complex had just about everything we needed to survive and then some. It's surrounded by a ten foot high concrete wall with a lot of barbed wire on the top and the gate was very sturdy as it was made out of heavy duty metal and on top of that was held by an automatic system that had pistons reinforcing it's hinges. All in all, I felt safe in here. Surprisingly, none of the infected got inside of the complex which kind of puzzled me; those Hunters are really agile and I figured they would be able to jump over the wall as if it were nothing but a picket fence. I suppose everything is the way it is for a reason then right?_

_Everyone who was injured in the gunfight has gotten much better for the most part. Angela's practically back to her old self again and Sera's gotten plenty of help from Daniel with her recovery. The glances they give one another really makes me think that she likes him though I had no idea if he felt the same way; he's so friendly to everyone. Jessica's recovered quite a bit though she doesn't have 100% use of one of her arms yet though it would probably only be a few days until she's back to being our best marksman. Big brother's been taking good care of her though I couldn't help but notice that he seemed distraught at something. He spoke to me last night about his feelings which is something he doesn't usually do. I guess it was because I was sleeping with him for that night and he woke up and tried to clear his head with his usual meditation but he just couldn't focus._

_I was very surprised to hear that he also like Samantha. She's been a valuable friend as well as our medic and she's also been extremely kind to both of us in addition to all the others. I felt my heart sink when he told me about their encounter in the food storage closet on the plane, especially when she broke down upon discovering there was something between Jessie and him. Now I really don't know which of them he should choose...he's really taking all of this to his thoughts and heart and I really feel sorry for him. I guess this was a problem I should've foreseen when I saw the way Sam looked at him. He definitely wants to make them both happy but he knows he can't. All I can do is hope that things between us don't sour because of these feelings._

_Speaking of feelings, I've noticed Berkley and Angie getting really close as of late. Berkley's actually beginning to act like a human being. Sure he's still quite an asshole (considering the way he treats big brother and Jonah...boy does he dislike Jonah) but he warms up around Angela. He still constantly hits on the women though...Kai's been a particular victim as of late. Angie told me a joke that Berkley just digs the Asian heritage she has and he's got a thing for Asian girls. I shuddered when she playfully winked at me saying that I was in for it when I turn 18. Apart from that, Kai and Jonah have been settling in well. Kai is the designated driver and Jonah was definitely the comedian of the group and he always tries to liven things up. That party they threw a couple days ago was hilarious to watch. Daniel is a funny man man but even funnier when he's drunk and dancing. I laugh to this second when I think of him dancing with Jonah like they were LMFAO and when he pulled Olivia into the floor and started grinding with her. For once, Olivia seemed really happy when she actually loosened up. I even noticed big brother nodding to the beat of the music. Warren even asked me to dance with him and we did a little bit of dancing though I had no idea what I was doing. He seemed to know he to slow dance very well though and after everyone went to sleep, we went downstairs to dance to some soft and slow music. I really think I like him...though I know it would be a horrible idea for us to become anything, especially with Berkley disliking me._

_Over these couple weeks we've all definitely grown closer and stronger as a group and I even dared to say we've become a family. Tomorrow's going to be a trip to the nearby mall where we are going to get clothes for ourselves considering we weren't able to get most of our supplies back from the plane so I hoped that it would be a safe trip to and back. Hopefully, this is a chance for us to find a place that was free of infected and also a reliable hub for anything we'll need._

_Until next time!_

_Shia Yuen._

* * *

(**A/N): Alright everyone here's the big news but first a few things I'd like to say.**

**First I want to thank each and everyone one of you readers out there for the support. You guys have been awesome and I'm so proud that Finding The Haven has received over 1800 views and over 90 reviews since it was first posted a bit more than a month ago. I never imagined that this story would be so successful and that you guys would be so eager and fun to bounce this with. Thank you all for everything!**

**Secondly, I'd like to announce that fellow author zipscool, the author of The Pelanoi Accounts which is a sign up story just like this one will be collaborating with me. A very eager fan of both of us requested and we're answering the buzz. We won't reveal precisely what yet but don't worry, it's going to be epic. I'd also like to take the opportunity to tell all of you to read his story. He's the very person who inspired this story and it's an excellent work of art. Go read it or I will STEAL YOUR SOUL!**

**Thirdly and finally, I'm announcing a special event. After reading another story called Ask The Survivors, I got an idea of something that I think you guys will enjoy. Depending on your feedback (which can be in the form of a review or a PM), I'm thinking of doing sort of an interlude in which you the readers have the opportunity to freely ask the survivors anything you please. It's going to be sort of like Ask The Survivors but not like a show or anything. Why am I doing this? I want there to be a ton of interactivity for everyone and it also gives me a chance to step into the shoes of each of your characters and really think like them. Plus, I'm pretty sure you guys want to ask people like Warren or Takeda some questions.**

**Let me know what you guys think about the idea!**


	29. Diary Log 11

**(A/N): And another log! At the bottom of this log, I have an announcement. Enjoy the log and be sure to read the note at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Kai Vega**

**Diary Entry #18**

_July 29th 2013_

_I'm very thankful that I stumbled upon these people back in Pruinato. I can honestly say that without them, I very likely would've died if Sam didn't find me out there. I owe my life to her for that because she really didn't have to get out of the car and risk her neck like that. The way I was walking from exhaustion I was pretty sure they would've thought I was a zombie or something._

_A lot has changed since my days back home in Brazil. Then again...it's not really home when I travel between there, NYC and Japan. Sometimes I wished my family wasn't so large so I could actually learn what it's like to settle in. It's pretty ironic that total strangers seem to be more of a family than the scattered Vegas and all relatives thereof._

_Of the entire group, I'm probably closest to Sera, Olivia and Sam. Sam taught me a lot about spotting injuries and she also had me help her when it was time to treat the wounded from the gunfight (which I was unconscious throughout). It was very fun and interesting to see just how well she knew how to take care of someone and at times, I'm very surprised that she isn't the object of one of the men's affections..well besides that pest Berkley._

_God that man gets on my last nerve with his constant pickup line and flirting. When will he learn that none of us are close to his age, not to mention interested in an asshole like him. He even looks at Takeda's sister like she's a piece of meat and repeatedly states that she's his when she's 18. Takeda is never around to hear him say that and knowing that nasty temper of his (though he is very slow to anger), I wouldn't be surprised if Takeda severely injures him (if not outright kill) upon hearing those words leave his mouth._

_Over the past week, I've grown closer to just about everyone. Daniel is probably the nicest of the men then comes Takeda and Warren. Though Warren doesn't really say much, he usually offers me some of what he may be having, like orange juice or snacks. I can tell that he likes Shia a lot and I'm sure the feeling is mutual considering how much time those two spend together. Takeda though is quite courteous and whoever said chivalry is dead has never met him before._

_Takeda always asks me if everything is going okay and despite not being around much and meditating, he will go out of his way to check on everyone and always tries to cook the food if Shia doesn't beat him to it. That guy's gonna be a good father if he ever decides to settle down and if Shia doesn't give him the award for brother of the year, she'd be very ungrateful; not many siblings would go that far for each other. Takeda has also been showing me a thing or two in hand to hand combat because my gun may not be enough and my knowledge of swords does little when I don't actually own one. He's a nice teacher though he pushes me very hard like that guys from the P90X videos though he's marginally nicer._

_Jonah and I have become very good friends as well and he doesn't really hit on me like he does with Jessica or Sam. He treats me like a sister and he a,ways tries to cheer me up if I'm down about something with a joke or just making a fool of himself. Sure he was a womanizer like Berkley but he wasn't an asshole about it. He'd probably make a good boyfriend if he ever decided to pick a woman. In all honesty, Olivia seems like the best fit for him amongst all of the girls here though I'm very sure he'd rather something more exotic considering how much he talks about the world and traveling it._

_Travis creeps me out...he's nice and all but he seriously sends chills den my spine every time he looks at me. I don't know him very well but from what everyone else has said about him, he pulls his weight and he always helps if he can. Still...I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something. I better keep an eye on him._

_Anyways, we've got a field trip to the mall tomorrow and I'm pretty confident that we can handle anything the world has to throw at us. Sure we're a bit lacking in the firepower department considering that we had to use a lot of it to fight our way into the complex but I'm sure we can come up with something. Maybe I can find a sword like Takeda's in the mall..._

_Shall write again tonight!_

_Kai._

* * *

**(A/N): I'm waiting for your questions guys! I'm gonna need as much as I can get in order to write a meaningful interlude! Send em to me as a PM or just leave em in a review. I will write the interlude after the next story chapter so you guys can have some time to think of questions. I've already gotten a couple but that's nowhere near enough to write the interlude.**

**Let those creative minds be free!**


	30. Sirocco Mall

**(A/N): Alright guys! I'm still awaiting your questions so needless to say I won't be writing another story chapter till I do the interlude. I may do a log or two but no story chapters until after the interlude so get your questions in!**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I do own this story and I'm sure you're all proud to have been an intergral factor in it's conception.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Sirocco Mall**

"The mall's just up this road," said Olivia.

"It amazes me as to how you remember every road like it were yesterday," said Sera.

Olivia smiled and shrugged.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"I'm back to my old self," said Sera with a bright smile.

Daniel smiled to himself as he turned into the parking lot. Two other CRVs followed suit and parked beside him.

"Well now! It doesn't look infested at all," said Kai.

"For once, somewhere doesn't look like it wants us for dinner," said Daniel as he stretched his arms.

Everyone moved inside of the mall and to their amazement, it was almost completely untouched. Sure there were quite a few stores with broken glass and overturned shelves but looters were a common occurence in places like these. It would also explain why the doors were unlocked. Daniel held his gun in his left hand.

"Looters...everyone stay on your toes," he said.

They moved deeper and arrived at the lobby. To say there were many different stores would be an understatement as there were much more than simply many. There was practically a store dedicated to each article of clothing and a food court sign pointing left quelled their worries of being unable to get everything in one trip. Jessica turned to everyone.

"Let's split up and get everything we need, everyone have their lists?" she asked.

A mutual nod indicated agreement with her question. They then went seperate ways in small groups.

**Group #1: Jessica, Takeda and Sam**

**Group #2: Angela, Berkley and Travis**

**Group #3: Jonah, Daniel and Sera**

**Group #4: Olivia, Kai, Warren and Shia.**

* * *

**Inside a Victoria's Secret- Group #1**

_"Why in god's name did I decide to follow them here..."_ thought Takeda.

He sat on a small chair near the fitting room and sighed in boredom before examining his sword. The blade was really beginning to look dull.

_"I should try to find a weapon store and find something to sharpen it..."_ he said to himself.

"Takeda?"

He broke out of his train of thought to see Jessica holding some clothes in her hands. He was quite glad to see that she had almost full use of her injured arm again.

"Yes Jessica?" he replied.

"I...want your opinion...could you follow me?" she asked.

He nodded and followed her into the changing room. He leaned against a wall and waited for her to change. Within minutes, she opened the door and his eyes couldn't help but indulge in the sight before him. He had never once seen her underwear before but the color black _**really**_ suited her as she showcased a black two piece lace set. She was blushing very brightly and she looked away to avoid his eyes.

"Well...what do you think?" she asked.

He smiled gently.

"Very attractive," he said in a smooth voice.

Her blush doubled in shade upon hearing that voice of his.

"Takeda?"

He turned to his left to see Sam standing in a white two piece swimsuit. He again didn't blush but he couldn't help but indulge in the sight. The swimsuit _**really**_ brought her curves out unlike her usual conservative dress code that didn't really reveal much.

"May I ask your opinion?" she asked as she twirled around.

Jessica felt a huge pang of jealousy run through her veins and she couldn't believe Sam was so immodest about this, especially with her directly in front of him. She scanned his face and noticed a smirk replacing his previously sincere look.

"Looks good on you," he replied.

With a smile, she zipped off. Jessica looked at him but was silenced when he gave her an intense gaze that made it clear to her that it wasn't what she thought.

"It's an opinion...you know I only have eyes for you," he whispered.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her into a kiss. He hadn't shown her any affection during her recovery stage due to fear of harming her and unknown to her, the encounter with Sam in the closet on the plane. With a soft sigh, she returned his affection, very happy that she still appealed to him more than anyone else.

* * *

**Inside A Hot Topic- Group #3**

"Dude! That shirt looks epic!" said Daniel.

"Hell yeah! Brings back memories of home," said Jonah.

He had just put on a shirt with a picture of Usain Bolt doing his signature pose.

"Not bad yourself," said Jonah gesturing at the new clothes Daniel put on.

He put on a shirt that had a picture of a tribal wolf. He put on baggy jeans and also wore a hoodie with the logo for Nike clear on the front.

"Found anything Sera?" said Daniel aloud.

"I look weird..." she replied in an equally loud voice.

"Nonsense, get out here!" he encouraged.

After a few moments, Sera came out of the fitting room. She had on a black t-shirt with the logo of AC-DC clear in the middle and covered it with a blue denim jacket with a matching pair of jeans. Daniel stared at her because for the first time, he saw all of her curves with the help of the jeans and the small size of th shirt. She also let her hair out, something she didn't usually do.

"I can't find any bigger sizes..." she said timidly.

Jonah let out a vulgar wolf whistle.

"You're a fan of AC-DC?" he asked.

"...I have all their albums in my bag," she replied.

Daniel officially felt like he was in love despite the tremendous gap in their age. Though Sera was a woman in her 30s, she didn't look that old at all. The fact that she thoroughly enjoyed one of his favorite bands that brought so many memories of his times in the military just added more fuel to the fire inside of him whenever he laid eyes on the exotic Half Sioux girl. Jonah elbowed him in the ribs.

"If you don't get some of that I'm gonna beat you to it," said Jonah with a wink.

Daniel for the first time, blushed profusely and Jonah chuckled heartily.

* * *

**Inside A Weapon Store- Group #2**

**"**Takeda can use this to renew his sword," said Angela as she stuffed the object into her dufflebag.

Travis grinned at the number of guns inside the store. Berkley examined the massive number of knives sealed away in a display case. Angela noticed his gaze before walking beside him.

"Into sharp things are ya Brit?" she teased.

"If you practice close combat with them like me you'd understand why lassie," he said in a mock Irish tone.

She laughed at his voice before she picked up a baton from a shelf and smashed the case open.

"Take em all I'd say because I doubt we're going to come back here for now," she said.

Berkley paused for a moment before removing a select number of the knives and placing them each in a sheath and storing them in his bag. He looked back at her and for a moment, their eyes met. He certainly enjoyed helping her pick out the new clothes she wore now and still recalled every single detail of the heated moment they had in the changing room which was interupted by Travis. They smiled at each other. Travis approached them as he put away the radio.

"We have to refill on ammo so I guess we should use the fourth bag to carry that and a few guns," he said.

The trio began to grab as much ammo as they could and stuffed the bag full of it before picking up some rifles and handguns. Travis however picked up two shotguns, absolutely thrilled to have them under his ownership.

"What's with your shotgun fetish?" asked Angela.

"Do you not see how well these things work against those walking maggot houses?" asked Travis.

Angela cocked her head and shrugged as if he had a point.

"Let's get going," she said.

The two men followed her out of the store.

* * *

**In The Lobby**

"That was fun!" said Shia.

Warren looked at her with a smile as she sat beside him.

"You mean the part where we finished our stuff before everyone else?" he asked.

"No...I mean when you were so embarrassed when I asked you to tell me what you thought of my clothes," she teased.

The boy shook his head and an uneasy blush developed in seconds. Shia laughed softly and kissed his cheek. Olivia and Kai came back in moments.

"Pretty good haul huh?" said Kai.

"Yeah...I didn't expect for there to be so much," said Olivia.

Footsteps echoed through the lobby as the group began to return. Takeda's group however didn't return yet.

"What do you think is keeping em?" asked Jonah.

"Jessie loves shopping," said Daniel instantly.

The group settled down in the lobby and awaited the arrival of their final three members before moving onto dinner time.

* * *

**In A Corridor- Group #1**

"We should've met them fifteen minutes ago," said Sam.

"Sorry...guess I haven't gone shopping in such a long time that I lost myself," said Jessica.

Takeda laughed softly to himself when a loud crash echoed throughout the corridor. He looked at Sam.

"Get to the lobby," he said as he handed her the bag of clothes and ran off.

She wanted to protest but she knew better than to oppose his wishes. Jessica surprisingly was fine with it.

"He'll be fine," she said with a smile as the two women moved to the lobby.

* * *

**Inside A Pharmacy**

Takeda stealthily made his way inside. He had his sword ready to unsheath as he crept down the aisle.

"How the heck do you overturn an entire shelf?" said a female voice.

"It was an accident...I'm sorry," replied another female voice.

"You know it's difficult for her to see where she's going without her glasses," said a third female voice.

Takeda peeked around the corner to see three women standing over an overturned shelf. Broken glass and pills littered the floor. Takeda really began to wonder if there was any such thing as unattractive women in this apocalypse as the three women were practically models. One of the women suddenly looked toward the shelf. Takeda didn't think she noticed him until she rose to her feet from her knees and moved swiftly towards his hiding spot. He knew if he tried to move, he would give away his position regardless. To his surprise, the woman fired a roundhouse kick around the corner, just barely missing his head. He moved back as she turned the corner and continued to fire kicks at him. He dodged all of them.

"Stop! I mean no harm!" he said beneath his hood.

He lowered his hood and raised his hands in a submissive gesture. The woman stopped her assault and her emerald eyes locked onto his body. She was definitely checking him out from head to toe.

"Reggie? What's going on?" asked one of the women.

"Wow...he's handsome," said the third one just low enough for him to not hear.

"What're you doing here kid?" said Reggie.

"My name is Takeda, not kid," he said in a cold tone.

Reggie looked at him and smiled.

"You've got guts there handsome, I'm Regina Clarke," she said.

"Elena Sirocco," said the second woman.

The third woman lowered her hood and Takeda's eyes widened.

"Nia Chang," she said.

"N-N-Nia? It's me!" he said.

The woman looked at him before her eyes widened as well.

"Wait a minute...Takeda? As in Takeda Yuen from The Jade Dragon Kung Fu School?" asked Nia.

He nodded and she immediately lit up and dashed into him with a hug.

"It's good to see you alive and well," he said.

"Likewise," she said.

"You two know each other?" asked Regina.

"He's my first cousin," she said.

Regina whistled and Elena smiled.

"It's good to see a friendly face around here," said Elena.

"Tell me that after you're on the receiving end of her kicks," he said with a smirk.

"You dodged them all," she replied.

"You didn't have to kick...if I was a zombie I wouldn't have dodged you," he replied.

Regina snorted and shrugged.

"How did you get all the way here cousin?" asked Nia.

"Planes and cars," he replied.

"How long have you been here?" asked Elena.

"Over a week," he replied.

"There's somewhere habitable? Here I thought only this mall was," said Regina.

"There's a complex nearby here with plenty of room," said Takeda.

Regina smiled again.

"Are you inviting us back to your place handsome?" she said in a flirtatious tone.

Takeda wasn't fazed by her voice.

"It's safer than here where looters can get in," he said.

The women looked at Regina.

"If it's not any trouble...then I don't see why not," she said.

Takeda smiled and gestured them out of the pharmacy. Regina stopped beside him.

"You're the one she keeps talking about," she said.

"We grew up together and we trained together," he said.

"Yeah...you know how to fight," she said.

She leaned closer.

"Is there anything else these muscles can do?" she said in a very seductive tone.

Takeda smirked at her.

"Sorry, I'm taken," he replied.

Regina raised an eyebrow but smiled.

"She's a lucky girl," she said.

She kissed his cheek.

"That's for not killing me when I attacked you," she said.

"Why would I kill you?" he asked.

"When you're fighting someone you tend not to think twice about staying alive...if you didn't dodge those kicks I would've killed you where you stood though I know you could've killed me if you tried," she said.

He put his hand on the spot where she just pecked him as she walked away, swaying her hips on purpose.

_"Why can't Jonah or Travis get the women..."_

He sighed deeply and walked towards the lobby.


	31. Interlude 1: Ask The Survivors

**(A/N): You the readers and viewers have spoken and I have answered! That's right! It's time for the interlude! After thinking this over, I've decided to do an interlude every now and then to keep things humorous and lively. I'm sure it's obvious but I'll say it anyway: none of the events shown here are cannon to the story. Pretend the cast is a set of actors and actresses brought on stage like a real interview and they're answering in character because some of these questions kinda ask for spoilers xD**

**Anyway without further ado! Ask The Survivors!**

* * *

I walked into the room and a girl came up to me.

"You'll be on the air in 30 seconds so get going," she said.

I swallowed some air and sighed as I put on my usual attire of a dark blue denim jacket, a matching pair of baggy jeans and a white t-shirt. I made sure my face was free of blemishes and I sniffed myself to ensure I smelled fine. I took a breath and walked out onto the set and I was met with a huge uproar. I nervously waved to everyone before taking a seat.

"Good evening everyone and welcome to The Interlude! The show where you the public get to interact with the cast of Finding The Haven, I'm your host Wandering Letters!" I said.

The cheering quelled as I settled into the chair behind the desk.

"In this edition of The Interlude, we'll be doing a Q/A segment called Ask The Survivors! In this segment, all of you the audience and readers from around the world have a chance to ask your favorite characters questions you've always wanted to!" I said.

More cheering erupted throughout the set and I raised my hands to calm everyone down.

"Alright without further ado! Please give a warm welcome to the cast of Finding The Haven!" I said.

Loud music filled the room and one by one, the survivors made their way to the stage. After taking a few bows and waving, they settled in their couches.

"Thanks for joining us tonight all of you," I said.

"You're most certainly welcome," said Berkley.

"I didn't think we'd have so many fans already," said Jessica looking at the audience.

The audience immediately erupted into cheers and shouts and she smiled.

"Let's get started with our Ask The Survivors segment!" I said.

I took out some cards before joining the survivors on the stage.

"The first question goes to Takeda Yuen," I said.

He turned and looked at me before nodding.

"This question is from Ghost2291. What would you do if Shia were to die by the undead or by other people?" I asked.

Takeda looked at his little sister before turning back to me.

"If for some reason I am unable to keep her safe...then I honestly have no idea what I would do without her..." he said in a sincere tone.

"Would you kill the person who killed her if it was a human?" I asked.

"Without a second thought," he replied immediately.

Shia's face softened and she hugged him and snuggled against his chest. His eyes radiated all the emotions he felt and he returned the gesture. The audience let out a deep "Aww..." at the sibling affection.

"The next question is for Shia, also from Ghost2291 and it asks what would you do if Takeda died," I continued.

"I can't imagine life without my big brother so I honestly have no idea," she said.

She hugged him tightly and another loud "Aww..." echoed throughout the set.

"Oh please...enough with the fuzzy stuff," said Berkley in an annoyed tone.

"Quit being an ass Jerkley," said Daniel.

Berkley cut him a glare but the soldier wasn't even fazed.

"Alright break it up you two, time for the next question," I said as I moved the first card aside.

I looked at Berkley.

"Question from Ghost2219 and he asks that you're developing the cure to the T-Virus but you're trying to kill the survivors one by one, what's up with that?" I asked.

"It's quite simple really," he replied.

He pointed to Takeda.

"Loved by everyone and I can't afford for him to mess up my plans by making everyone on the goddamn planet fall head over heels for him so he needs to be removed from the equation; he poses a threat to my plans to take the group to a haven where I am the leader," he replied.

"So it's a quest of power is it?" I asked.

Berkley gave a confident nod.

"What would happen if Warren betrayed you?" I asked.

"I'd figure out a way to remove him from the equation as well," he replied.

Warren cut him a cold glare and he stiffened at the sight of his red eyes through the shadow of the hood.

"Good luck with that," said Warren coldly.

"Ok! How about some questions that don't involve death?" I said nervously as I flipped through the cards.

"Ahh here's one! This one's for Samantha from Ghost2219 and he asks that now you know about Takeda's relationship with Jessica, what will you do?" I said.

"I'll be there for both of them but if something were ever to happen to Jessica, I'd be there to fill that void in an instant," she said.

Takeda looked at her with a questioning look but smiled.

"How the hell have you fallen head over heels for a kid you met a bit more than two weeks ago?" said Berkley.

"Because unlike you Jerkley, he's nice and actually has a heart unlike that black hole where yours is supposed to be," she said.

A loud "OHHH!" echoed throughout the set.

"I agree with Sam; Takeda's been really nice to all of us and he didn't have to tell us where the complex was," said Elena.

"Yeah but Nia was with us..." said Regina.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Takeda.

"You only helped us because you saw her," said Regina.

"I would've told you anyways...don't try to make me look like an ass because you're trying to look like less of a bitch," he said.

Another loud "OOHHH!". Regina smiled at him.

"Ok! Next question for Jessica again from Ghost2219 and it asks if you would be pissed if any other girl had their eyes on Takeda," I said.

"Well...I haven't exactly labeled him mine..." she began.

Sam looked at her and I could tell in her mind she just did the Freddie Mercury pose. Regina's eyes zoomed onto him even more and I could've sworn she licked her lips slightly.

"I wouldn't be mad to be honest...I mean I'd get a bit upset but the kind of relationship we have isn't really one that binds us," she said honestly.

"So does that mean we can share him?" said Sam and Regina in unison.

Takeda covered his head with a hood and hid his face from the women and let out a deep sigh.

"Come on! Why does he get all the action!" said Jonah.

"Because he's hotter than you," said Regina blankly.

Jonah practically radiated the "Forever Alone" aura and he sunk back into his seat.

"I still think I'm hotter than him," said Berkley.

"Shut up Jerkley," said the majority of the cast in unison.

A large uproar of laughter followed the comment. I couldn't help but laugh myself.

"Alright easy there everyone, still got quite a few questions here," I said.

"Is there any for me?" asked Loki.

"I'm sure there is," I replied.

He nodded behind his mask.

"We'll take a short break and continue after these messages!" I said.

* * *

"Welcome back to The Interlude! And back to our questions," I said.

I turned to face the survivors and took out my cards again.

"Ok! Here's a set from a different person! Chocomadds-and-Irish and the first question is for Jessica!" I said.

Jessica turned to me.

"She asks do you ever think Takeda would cheat or beak up with you for another woman? If so, would this be because of your own distrust, or his unreliability?" I asked.

Jessica was silent for a moment.

"I would never call Takeda an unreliable person because he hasn't let me down before but if he did break up with me for another woman, it would have to be because of my own distrust," she said.

"Why would you be distrustful?" I asked.

"Because it's a commonly known fact that I have little to no experience with this kind of thing and considering that half the female cast is good looking, I wouldn't count myself as the one set in stone," she replied.

Takeda closed his eyes and leaned back, obviously affected by her words. She held his hand.

"If it does happen though, it's not happening for a long time," she said.

He opened his eyes and smiled upon hearing those words. Another loud "Aww!" filled the room.

"Alright next question is for Takeda and she asks how does it feel to battle off all these women?" I asked.

"I just don't understand why they don't go for Travis, Jonah or Daniel...I mean I don't understand what draws all of them to me," he replied.

"I can't help it if he's hotter than them," said Regina.

"HEY!" said Travis, Jonah and Daniel together.

Takeda shook his head.

"I'd say tedious for lack of a better word," he said.

I chuckled at his words.

"Ok next question is for Shia! And she asks what are your feelings towards Daniel?" I asked.

"Dan's like the goofy big brother I never had and I love him as if he were my own," she replied with a smile.

Daniel held out a fist and she bumped it, causing everyone to laugh.

"Next question is for Sam! And she asks will you ever give up on Takeda?" I said.

"I'm always going to be there for him so that's a no," she replied.

"With dedication like that, if something were to happen to me and I'm not saying something will, she'd be the only one I'd approve him with," said Jessica.

"Me too," said Shia.

Takeda shook his head and leaned back in the couch pretending to not be interested.

"Next question is for Jonah! And she asks who is your favorite character amongst the females," I said.

"This'll be fun!" said Jonah as he looked at each of them.

His face had a lecherous grin as he scanned each of the female cast.

"If I could only pick one girl, it'd definitely be Jessica but if I could declare a tie, Jessica and Regina," he replied.

"I've only been around one chapter and I'm a favorite?" said Regina.

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror girl?" said Jonah.

Regina rolled her eyes and cocked her head as if stating he had a point.

"Thank you Jonah," said Jessica with a smile.

He smiled back at her.

"Next question is for Kai and she asks who are you closest to amongst the group," I said.

Kai put an arm around Shia.

"My little sister here," she said.

Shia grinned at her and the audience again let loose another "Aww!".

"Final question from her is for Berkley and she asks who's hindering your plan most? Takeda, Shia or Angela?" I said.

"Takeda, without a doubt," he replied.

Takeda looked at Berkley for a moment before looking away.

"Alright then! I think we have time for one more set of questions, this time from a good friend of mine zipscool!" I said with a smile.

"The one who inspired you to write our story?" asked Shia.

"Indeed and his first question goes to Berkley and he asks when did you start working with Neo Umbrella and how long have you been working there," I asked.

Berkley sat up from his slouched position.

"I started working for Neo Umbrella roughly two years ago as a research scientist when one of their representatives visited my home and personally offered me a job there," he replied.

"Did you enjoy the job?" I asked.

"The challenge of researching new drugs and medicines was very interesting considering how easy science comes to me and what they gave me was actually to a degree difficult," he replied.

"Did you work on the T-Virus or any of those things?" I asked.

"No, as soon as they asked me if I could contribute to the virus I declined and left," he replied.

The audience gave him a round of applause and the cast surprisingly did as well.

"His next question asks how long have you been working on Experiment SEVEN," I continued.

"Roughly nine months and I did almost all of the work on my own," he replied.

"What was your goal with this experiment?" I asked.

"A much more durable and capable being of surviving harsh conditions in addition to being able to reproduce just like a human," he replied.

"So there's more of him?" I asked.

"Perhaps because Neo Umbrella confiscated a lot of his files which is what I went to Destrite for," he replied.

"Then why did you ask Takeda to find more on the T-Virus?" I asked.

"So I could develop a cure or at least an immunity vaccine," he replied.

Another round of applause sounded for him.

"Alright! Thanks Berkley and the next question is for both Daniel and Jessica and it asks how long have you two been on your own and how does it feel," I said.

Daniel scooted next to his sister.

"We were on our own for about three months before Shia and Takeda found us in the convenience store," said Jessica.

"So your area was infected before ours?" asked Takeda.

"How do you think we knew how to kill the zombies so efficiently?" asked Daniel.

He nodded at his words.

"It was very difficult...Dan and I lost the rest of our squad in a fight at a military base before we managed to take a helicopter and escape and once we ran out of fuel, we treked on foot for the three months, stopping anywhere there was resources for us to survive on," she said.

Takeda's hand squeezed hers in response to her cracking tone and she leaned on his shoulder in response.

"I'm sorry about that...must've been horrifying," said Nia.

"That's an understatement," said Jessica.

"My condolences for you," said Berkley.

Jessica looked at him as if she were scanning for sarcasm but she found none and nodded at him.

"Alright! Next question is for Angela and he asks what exactly about Berkley do you find so appealing," I said.

Kai and Sera childishly made gagging noises and Jessica buried her face in Takeda's neck.

"That accent of his...god I just love English accents," she said.

"Is that the only thing?" I asked.

"That and he's closest to my age, can't a woman just find someone attractive for that reason alone? It's like it's a crime," she said rolling her eyes.

Berkley snickered at her response.

"Okay next question is for Shia! He asks do you remember your parents and if you do, any fond memories?" I asked.

Shia smiled and sat up from her comfortable position against her brother.

"It was the time when my mother taught me to cook...that was definitely one of my fondest memories with them because it was the time in which I truly grew close to her," she replied.

"Any of your father?" I asked.

"Not really...he was sort of busy a lot of the time," she replied.

Takeda used his free hand to rub her shoulder and she returned to her previous position.

"Next question is for Warren and he asks what are your earliest memories," I asked.

"When Berkley and I escaped from Neo Umbrella...everything before that is still very hazy," he replied.

I cleared my throat.

"Next question is for Travis and he asks what was your life as a boxer like," I said.

"I gotta say it was probably the most fun I've had in my life...I always enjoyed the thrill of fighting someone just as good if not better than I am and I love challenges," he replied.

"So how high up the ladder were you?" I asked.

"I got to about the top 25 but I stopped because I got tired of the publicity and even travelling all over the country got annoying as well," he replied.

The cast looked at him.

"You were trying to be like Floyd Mayweather?" asked Daniel.

"Fought him...got my ass kicked," he replied.

The audience chuckled.

"Alright thanks Travis and the next question goes to Sera and he asks if you have any amusing stories from your days as a History teacher," I asked.

"I have many actually but the most fun had to be a batch of college students I taught when I was in my third year of teaching," she began.

"Go on," I said.

"There was a group of three in my class of 22 that was called the Stupid Threesome because all three were blondes and they practically had a Super Saiyan aura of sex appeal," she began.

I rolled my eyes and the mention of the stereotype.

"They were hard workers but all three were dyslexic so that complicated things more and somehow...they passed my class with an A," she said.

"How?" I asked.

"When it came down to when it really counted, they worked together and managed to ace every test I threw at them and the very same people who gave them the label failed utterly," she said.

"Why do you reckon?" I asked.

"Never underestimate the power of teamwork and never forget that the slow and steady wins the race," she repled.

I smiled.

"Let this be an inspiration to everyone out there in college! If three dyslexic women can ace History, so can you!" I said.

The audience chuckled again.

"Wow this is quite a long segment but we're boiling down to the last few questions and the next one is for Sam and he asks how did you get the scar on your ear," I said.

"I was attacked by those mutant dogs...Cerberus was it Berkley?" she replied.

He nodded.

"Jumped at me and just barely missed me and nicked me right there," she explained.

"How'd you escape?" I asked.

"My loaded shotgun," she replied with a smile.

I chuckled at her words.

"Next question is for Olivia! And he asks of all the men amongst the group, which do you like the most?" I asked.

"Am I allowed to declare a tie?" she replied.

"Sure but if you didn't have that luxury who would you choose," I said.

"If I could declare a tie, Daniel and Takeda but if I could only pick one then Daniel," she replied.

Daniel did the Freddie Mercury pose.

"As much of a kid as he is, he's really the only one who actually goes out of his way to help all of us and besides, he's hilarious," she said with a smile.

"Thanks Olivia!" said Daniel.

"But I'm funny too..." said Jonah.

"You're funny Jonah but Daniel's much more than you," she said shrugging.

I shoved the cards into the drawer.

"Well I think that's about-" I began.

Suddenly a girl ran onto the set and whispered something in my ear before putting a card in my hand and nodding before zipping off.

"Ok well it seems we have a few more questions that came in late from my good friend Jen Jen Yuki!" I said.

"Why did she talk to you then?" asked Takeda.

"Because Jen's over there in the audience," I said.

* * *

The spotlight pulled over the girl and she smiled and waved.

"Someone give her a microphone," I requested.

In a few seconds, one of the crew members handed her a microphone.

"Thank you so much Wandering Letters! I'm such a fan of this story and I'm so anxious to ask the survivors!" she said.

"Alright Jen you have three minutes," I said.

"First question's for Loki! Do you respect Takeda enough to help him even without an alternate goal in sight?" she asked.

Loki looked at her.

"He's the only man who can stand toe to toe with me in a swordfight so it's needless to say I respect him immensely but I wouldn't help him unless I had something to gain," he replied.

She smiled.

"Next question's for Takeda! Who's the best kisser out of Regina, Jessica and Sam? And be honest!" she said.

Jessica glared at him.

"YOU KISSED BOTH OF THEM?!" she screamed.

"If you're speaking of sheer skill then Sam is the best but if you mean in feeling, Jessica's the one without a doubt," he said.

"Are you going to acknowledge me?!" she growled.

"Sam kissed me in a vulnerable moment and Regina thanked me for helping them last chapter," he explained.

"Don't get mad at Takeda Jessica! He didn't kiss any of them back!" said Jen.

I shook my head at the questions and I muffled heavy laughter in my palm.

"My next question is for Daniel! Which of the females do you like best?" she asked.

"I take it you mean in the dating context?" he asked.

The girl nodded eagerly.

"It's between Olivia and Sera," he replied.

Olivia blushed profusely at his words and Sera hid her face from view.

"You don't care about her being more than 10 years older than you?" she asked.

"We're in a zombie apocalypse, does age really matter that much?" he asked.

"How about physically," she asked again.

"Regina wins, no doubt about that," he said shrugging.

She smiled seductively at him.

"My next and final question is for Kai, which of the men do you like best?" she asked.

"Takeda," she replied.

Takeda shook his head and hid his face again.

"He's like a brother to me," she continued.

He sighed in relief, much to the amusement of the audience.

"Thanks for answering! I'll give Wandering Letters his show back now," she giggled.

The spotlight moved back to me.

"And that concludes this edition of The Interlude! Stay tuned for another episode further down the line and until then, I'm Wandering Letters! Let's have a big round of applause for the cast of Finding The Haven!" I said.

A deafening amount of cheering followed my words.

"Thank you for tuning in! Till next time!"

* * *

**(A/N): Holy crap that was nerve wracking to write. Well I hope you all enjoy this attempt at keeping things nice and interactive. I'll be sure to come up with new ideas for interludes for you guys to take part in! Also I'll take the time to make an annoucement:**

**Fellow author zipscool and I have begun our work on Scavengers, our collaborative fic and it is now posted under his account so for those of you interested in signing up, we have 7 available slots so get going! He's posted the criteria in the first chapter of the story so you'll see everything you need to know there. I'd add him to your Author Alerts and Story Alerts if I were you because you never know when we'll post up more stuff.**

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this!**


	32. Preparations

**(A/N): Hello everyone! I want to say that I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting for the next chapter. Had to sort out some stuff for school and some personal issues but I'm back! I'd also like to take the opportunity to say thanks for all the support and all of your enthusiasm which has made Finding The Haven what it is today!**

**Without further ado, let's dive right into it!**

* * *

**Preparations**

**Nearby The Laboratory- Ventor Woods**

"This is the place," said Berkley.

Takeda's face went pale when he laid his eyes on the research laboratory. It was a huge white building which unfortunately for them, was utterly surrounded by the undead in addition to many other BOWs that stood out from amongst the crowd.

"We can't get in there with this small amount of firepower," said Daniel as he slammed his hand on the ground.

He moved the binoculars from his eyes and let it hang around his neck as he rose to his feet.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Sera.

"We need to go back to the mall and get more firepower," said Daniel.

"I have a better idea," said Olivia.

The group turned to her.

"There's a way into the laboratory through that forest which is blocked off by a ridiculous amount of fencing, there's no way the zombies got through it because it used to be a wildlife conservation space for endangered species," she explained.

"How do you know this?" asked Berkley.

Olivia smiled.

"I did a lot of climbing back in my days and I had a liking for nature so I was in there a lot," she replied.

"I still think we need more firepower because I'm sure the inside of the lab is chock full of those things," said Daniel.

"I agree," said Sera.

Olivia nodded and looked to Berkley and Takeda for answers.

"Safety is our number one priority when we're heading anywhere so I say we make a trip there in the morning to get more protection before we go to the lab," said Takeda.

"I suppose it's a better idea than to get torn apart by those Hunters," said Berkley.

The group got into the CRV and drove back towards the residential complex in which they set up shop.

* * *

**Back At The Complex**

"So you're Takeda's girlfriend huh?" said Elena.

Jessica looked away from the young woman as she sipped her coffee.

"He's a cute one," said Regina.

"He's also taken so don't get any ideas," said Jessica with a growl.

Regina smiled at her.

"Hey! Break it up you two come on," said Jonah.

"I have no idea why the hell you two are fighting over a 20 year old kid," said Travis.

He turned his attention back to the book he was reading as Warren came down from upstairs. He silently walked over to the fridge before taking a can of soda and sitting down in front of the TV with Shia. There was a knock on the door and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing before holding up their weapons at the door. Nia answered it to be greeted by her cousin, causing everyone to lower their guns.

"There's no way in hell we'll be able to get into the complex without more firepower so we have to make another trip to Sirocco," said Takeda.

"I have a better solution; there's a fully equipped weapon store with explosives and such a short distance in town," said Elena

Daniel smiled.

"Definitely beats the much longer trip to Sirocco so I'm game for that," he said.

Everyone seemed to agree with him.

"Let's get some rest; we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow," said Elena.

* * *

**The Next Morning- Urban Warfare Superstore**

"Sweet...mother of god," said Angela.

The group entered the large store and as soon as Jonah turned on the lights, they were met with an armory. Guns of all shapes and sizes were arranged in aisles with their respective ammo to the far right in a gigantic glass casing, the left of the store had nearly every kind of melee weapon they could ask for, including knives. There was even an aisle for explosives, something Regina took an immediate liking to. Survival gear also had its own aisle, ranging from body armor to fire starting kits to even knapsacks.

"Stock up because I don't think I want to make a trip like that again for a long time," said Daniel.

Though they made it to the store, many of the undead shambled about outside of it though thankfully none of them were too close to the store to notice them.

"Rifles here I come!" said Olivia.

"Shotguns for me," said Travis as he rubbed his hands together.

"Perhaps there's something I can use along with this," said Takeda holding his sword.

"I'm sorry I picked up the wrong kind of sharpener at Sirocco," said Angela.

Takeda nodded.

"It's only because I don't want to damage the blade too much," said Takeda.

"Those knives look awfully appealing," said Berkley.

"I think I'll have a look at those rifles," said Angela.

Everyone fanned out towards their likes. After 30 minutes, everyone returned with a cart full of supplies.

"Good thing we found those pickup trucks in the complex," said Daniel.

"Yeah; it'd be impossible to carry all this stuff back but at least we won't have to make a trip back here for a while, especially if we're conservative," said Travis.

"Let's drop off everything and gear up for the laboratory," said Jessica.

A loud grumble from Jonah's stomach turned their attention to him.

"How about some food first?" he said nervously.

A mutual chuckle indicated agreement.

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

**Takeda's Room**

"Hey,"

Takeda looked up to see Jessica. She replaced her previous outfit with clothes that covered up more of her skin to prevent any cuts and bites from anything they might encounter. She put on a light set of Kevlar that effectively protected her torso from most conventional projectiles. They also found a few headsets to replace the loud walkie talkies they used before and she had hers in her ear. Takeda rose to his feet before sheathing his now renewed sword.

"I see you managed to renew it," she said.

"It took a while but it's back to cutting potential," he replied.

Takeda chose not to wear any armor as he claimed it slowed him down tremendously. He changed his clothes also to better keep himself from harm. His cuts had fully healed and he replaced his shirt with a thicker wool version and wore a thicker black leather jacket. He picked his a pair of gloves while at the store and found a second sword to use with his current one. It wasn't as fine a blade as his but it would serve as a good backup should the original be rendered useless. He also incorporated a holster set under his jacket, allowing him to carry two pistols and a few clips of ammo and a few grenades. All in all, Takeda looked like the equivalent of an Asian undercover cop.

"Went a little overboard with the load out don't you think?" she asked.

"I don't use rifles or shotguns so I have to make up for that," he said as he shrugged.

She approached him.

"I never got the opportunity to say thank you for taking care of me," she said.

He held her hand and she turned her face away shyly. He used his free hand to turn her face to him.

"You're welcome," he said smoothly.

Jessica sighed at that voice of his; he always managed to get her going with just a simple adjustment of his usual tone.

"Don't exert yourself too much; that arm still isn't 100%" he said.

She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was a while since she was able to do this without him backing away out of fear of hurting her arm more. She leaned up and kissed him deeply and he returned it with equal passion. After several heated seconds, the sound of Daniel's voice calling his sister pulled them apart.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he said.

She blushed and smiled at him.

"I know," she replied.

* * *

**The Entertainment Room**

"Ready for this?" said Shia.

Warren nodded as he holstered a pistol in his new jacket. Shia fastened the binoculars around her neck and put her knapsack on the table as she began to load necessities into it.

"I don't want you to stay there if it gets too intense," said Warren.

Her eyes drifted to his to see concern.

"There's going to be a lot of those things waiting for us in there and I'm sure there are going to be some we've never encountered before so don't get too reckless," he said.

She finished loading the bag before she joined him.

"I don't know if I can protect you..." he said as he turned away.

He still wasn't used to caring for someone and he struggled with his inner nature to ignore the existence of others. Over all the time they spent together, he knew that she wanted more than just being friends with him, especially after the affection she displayed as of late.

"I promise," she said as she held his hand.

He turned back in surprise only to meet her lips. They sank into the couch, hiding them from the view of the others as he slowly started to kiss back. He understood why she was so affectionate to him; she had no idea if she would be around much longer or not because she was fully aware of how dangerous the laboratory was. After a few seconds, she pulled away.

"If we make it out alive...I want you to tell me everything," she said.

"One condition," said Warren.

She looked at him.

"Do that again," he said.

His rare smile graced his features and with a smile of her own, she fulfilled his request.

* * *

**In Berkley's Room**

"So I take it this place is gonna be crawling with these things?" said Angela.

"It wouldn't surprise me if we encountered new BOWs there because that particular facility was used for a lot of testing and experiments rather than mostly research like at Destrite," said Berkley.

"So this virus has that many mutations?" she asked.

"More than you can imagine," said Berkley.

He zipped his bag which contained everything he needed to salvage the information from the databases in addition to having ample space to take any other files he needed before sitting down.

"I don't foresee all of us making it back from this trip..." said Berkley.

Angela sat beside him.

"...I want you to stay here," he said.

Angela had to admit it felt odd to hear concern in his voice.

"I'm a big girl; I can handle myself," she said.

Berkley seemed annoyed at her determination but sighed as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Let's get going," he said.

He walked past her but to his surprise, she grabbed his hand and roughly turned him around before planting a rough kiss on his lips. He didn't hesitate to drop the bag full of delicate equipment to return it and after several seconds, she moved away with a smirk on her face.

"Your concern is...odd but I appreciate it," she said.

She walked out smoothly, leaving a speechless Berkley to his thoughts.

* * *

**Inside The Laundry Room**

"We're gonna have to be more careful than ever before," said Jonah.  
"No kidding," said Daniel as he pulled the strap to secure his body armour.  
"So do we have a plan of getting into that place?" asked Kai.  
"I know a way inside that shouldn't have too many of those things so we won't need to bring enough guns to take a small army," said Olivia.

Kai nodded as if in appreciation to the fact that they didn't have to fight so many of them; they were grotesque enough to make her vomit on the spot.

"I'm ready to go whenever you guys are so I'll be outside," said Jonah.  
"Make me some iced tea before we go," said Kai as she followed him outside.

A loud groan from Jonah indicated that he was indeed sick and tired of making the same drink for the young girl.

"I better get the map all set up," said Olivia as she walked out.

Sera turned to Daniel.

"Could you get this buckle this for me?" she asked.

Daniel nodded as he walked up behind her and fastened the small Kevlar vest to her body. She turned around to look at him.

"You know I heard what Jonah said in Hot Topic right?" she said.

Daniel found himself at a loss of words; there was no decent way to respond to that at all that he could think of. Sera noticed his anxiety before pecking his cheek, much to his shock.

"Though I think it's a bit strange for you to be interested in a much older woman...I also find it cute," she whispered.

Daniel stared at her as she smoothly walked outside. Unknown to anyone else, he did Freddie Mercury proud in that room.

* * *

**Two Hours Later- Inside The Laboratory Wildlife Enclosure**

"You have got to be shitting me," said Jonah.

At the very entrance Olivia led them towards sat a complete pack of seven Hunters and at least three Tyrants within view.

"It seems they do not want us to get inside," said Sera.

Olivia sighed deeply in disappointment.

"I'm very sorry everyone...I didn't think they would be able to get here," she said.

Berkley stepped forward and eyed the creatures.

"They didn't get in here...they were let in by someone because there isn't any damage to the surrounding wall or fencing...someone is here," he said.

He beckoned everyone.

"I know of another entrance though I really don't think you're going to enjoy the route," said Berkley.

Daniel shook his head.

"If it gets us one step closer to getting rid of these things and us getting somewhere away from this god forsaken place then I'm good," he said.

The group followed him and unknown to them, a wicked smile graced Berkley's face.


	33. Casualties

**(A/N): Back again! Been busy with school but I got a sudden burst of inspiration and I couldn't resist writing this for you guys! Hope you all enjoy! Glad to have a big announcement at the bottom of this chapter so read up my friends!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but if I did, I'd be one happy man!**

* * *

**Casualties**

"Sewers...why am I not surprised?" said Angela.  
"It's the only place where the bigger BOWs can't fit so I suppose it makes sense," said Kai.

The group made their way cautiously through the tunnel.

"This place gives me the creeps..." said Jessica.  
"We're at one of Umbrella's central hubs so this shouldn't surprise you," said Berkley with a smug look on his face.

Shia held onto her brother and he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he cautiously headed the pack with Daniel and Jessica on his flanks. Berkley took out his PDA and a bright screen projected a small hologram detailing the map of the compound.

"Once we reach the end of this tunnel, we can enter into the morgue through a ventilation system and from there we can find our way to the main database which is where all the gold is," said Berkley.  
"But there's a catch I take it," said Jonah.  
"It's a long way to the main database and considering the entire compound still has power, the security systems are probably still online," said Berkley.

Daniel cursed under his breath.

"So we have to fight those things and the damn building itself?!" growled Jonah.  
"It seems that way," said Berkley.

The group stopped at a ladder that lead upward to the morgue.

"Ladies first," said Travis.

The men stood watch as the women began to climb up the tall ladder in pairs. Soon, everyone managed to get inside the morgue but they were horrified at what the saw. At least seven Redskin zombies were gnawing on the corpses scattered about the morgue and a few Lickers stuck to the ceiling wandering aimlessly, occasionally growling at the sounds coming from the feasting undead. Takeda unsheathed his sword and Sera walked up with him. The two managed to silence the two closest zombies with their weapons and the other five zombies didn't seem to notice the commotion. They crept up and quickly silenced another pair though this time, one of the bodies slumped to the floor a little too loudly and the remaining undead turned their attention towards the group. They groaned and growled as they began to sprint towards them but before they could reach, suppressed gunfire sent them to their doom. Sera looked back at Daniel who winked at her as he lowered his rifle. The Lickers moved towards the survivors but once again, suppressed fire silenced the hideous creatures.

"Good work everyone, exactly as planned," said Berkley.

They made their way through the facility, cautious to follow Berkley's directions to the syllable before stumbling onto a security room.

"Let's check if we can disable the security systems in here," said Berkley.

They agreed and eyed the inside of the room.

"Shit...we have two guards in there," said Daniel.

Travis stepped up.

"Leave this to me," he said.

He took out a machete and motioned for everyone to hide. He creaked the door open before quickly slipping inside. Just as he anticipated, one of the guards moved to check the door. Travis quickly snuck up to the remaining guard sitting in his seat and snapped his neck like a twig before moving and ducking behind the lockers. The other guard turned back to see his friend dead but Travis nowhere in sight. He rushed over to his friend only to get grabbed by the boxer. He struggled to get free but Travis quickly snapped his neck before dragging his corpse behind the lockers. He did the same with his companion before opening the door and beckoning the group inside. Some were horrified at his efficiency while others were impressed, especially Berkley. Berkley sat around the large computer before typing at an incredible rate.

"Thankfully, we managed to get into the main security room and from here I can shut down the vast majority of the security measures," he said.  
"That's great news," said Olivia.  
"Note...I said vast majority," he said with a slight sigh in his voice.

He continued to type.

"I won't be able to shut down all of the defense but the security lasers and the mounted machine guns are now..."

After several seconds of frantic typing, he sighed in relief.

"Offline so now the database can be entered without any problems...only thing is getting there," he said.  
"So what do you propose we do?" asked Elena.  
"One or two of us should remain here and keep an eye on the security in case something happens and we can keep in touch through the headsets while the rest of us make our way towards the room," said Berkley.  
"I'll stay," said Kai.

She cracked her knuckles.

"I'm pretty good with computers so I guess I can figure out how to work this thing," she said.  
"I'll stay with her," said Jonah.

She smiled at him as she took Berkley's seat.

"We'll make our way to the security room in front of the database and report from there," said Berkley.

With a mutual agreement, the group moved towards the security room. Cautious but effectively, they quietly moved towards the security room.

"We should split up because there's something else we need to do here besides get my files," said Berkley.

He once again pulled out his PDA before pointing at a room two floors above them.

"In this room lies a lot of laptops with the software Umbrella has taken a liking to, if I can get my hands on at least one or two of them I will be able to work much more efficiently and there's also a lab connected to it which contains a lot of lab equipment I can use which is why I asked you to bring along those bags," said Berkley as he pointed at Daniel's shoulder.

They looked at each other.

"I'll need Warren with me as he knows what to look for which will make our search faster so who will be going up to the two floors?" asked Berkley.  
"I'll go," said Elena.

She moved aside and Nia joined her along with Angela and Takeda. Daniel and Jessica stood beside Berkley and Shia soon joined Warren. Olivia and Sera looked at each other for a brief moment before Sera branched off to Daniel's side. Regina shrugged before standing beside Takeda with a smile on her face, much to Jessica's chagrin. Sam finally went over to Berkley, feeling as if she would do nothing but hold the search party back.

"You all know what to do so let's make this quick and worth it," said Berkley.

They quickly moved towards their designated locations.

* * *

**Ten Minutes Later- Takeda's Group**

"We've arrived at the room, collecting the equipment now," said Angela.  
_"Excellent, we've started the download on our end so it shouldn't be too long before we're home free,"_ said Berkley.

Takeda start continued to load the small objects that Berkley specified to him. Angela started to look for specific laptops that Berkley guided her to via the headset. Elena and Nia examined the various open folders containing information on Neo Umbrella and Olivia followed Takeda as she continued to load bags with the clutter Berkley requested. Regina decided to wait outside in the corridor in case anyone came along to stop them and hid herself in the bathroom facing the equipment room. A loud crash interrupted their search.

"Kai? Anything on the cameras?" asked Olivia.  
_"Not seeing anything but I'm_ _detecting a few heat sources moving towards you...and they're moving fast,"_ said Kai.

Angela cursed loudly.

_"Whatever's coming...it's way too fast to be human," _said Kai.

Without warning, a figure fell from the ventilation shaft before springing at Olivia. She quickly ducked and rolled out of the way but had no chance to recover before the figure attacked again. Takeda quickly sprung over a table before managing to ram it with his shoulder before kicking it away. It flipped and landed on all four of it's legs before looking up and snarling.

_"What the fuck was that? What's going on over there?"_ said Berkley in a panicked tone.  
"I don't know what the fuck this thing is!" said Angela.

The creature lunged at Olivia again but this time she managed to repel it with a well placed gun swing, knocking it to the floor. Another creature fell from the shaft and lunged at Elena. She however...was not so lucky as it managed to tackle her and plunge it's claws into her chest. Nia kicked the creature off of her only to be struck from behind by a third one, it's claws slicing into her back like butter. She screamed in pain as she turned and fired her suppressed pistol but missed every shot. Takeda rushed to her side but was tackled himself into a desk by the first creature. He was helpless to assist his cousin as she continued to get battered and beaten by the assaulting four legged BOWs. Angela wanted to fire but she knew she risked alerting the base with her loud guns and for once she wished she took Daniel's advice and silenced them. Nia continued to get slashed over and over again until she was brought to her knees from blood loss.

"NIA!" screamed Takeda.

He shoved the creature off of him before swiftly decapitating it with his sword and rushed at his cousin. By the time he reached her, he was horrified to see Elena already down on the floor with a pool of blood leaking from her body. He slashed one of the creatures but the second one managed to tackle him again. Olivia sprung into action as she unsheathed her survival knife and managed to land a very powerful slash across the creature's exposed neck. It sprang off of Takeda and screeched in pain. He sprang to his feet before unsheathing the other sword and charging at his assailant. He blocked it's claws with his left weapon and slashed it's chest clean open with his right. It fell to the ground as he slammed one of the swords into it's open wound, effectively ending it's life. He turned to see the third creature with Nia under it's paw.

"T...T...Takeda..." she groaned.

It screeched before slamming it's claws into the girl's skull, ending her life. Takeda felt an uncontrollable rage overtake his senses and he tore the sword from the dead creature's corpse before jumping off of a table and slashing the creature across it's face before kicking it with such relentless force that it flew into a desk. He then rammed both swords into it's exposed chest, killing it nearly instantly. He fell to his knees as he hugged his cousin's body close to him and weeping. Olivia walked to his side and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She turned to see that Elena was already dead as the creature that attacked her first buried it's claws where her heart was. Takeda continued to weep softly.

"We just lost Elena and Nia...some four legged BOWs just attacked us," said Angela.  
_"How many were there? Four of them?"_ asked Berkley.  
"Three of them...why?" she asked.

She heard Berkley curse loudly.

_"GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!_ **NOW!**" he said.  
"What? What's going on?!" she said.  
_"THAT BOW IS THE ZARIX PROTOTYPE! IT HUNTS IN PACKS OF FOUR BUT THE ALPHA STAYS BACK! IT'S COMING FOR YOU AND THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL YOU GUYS CAN HANDLE THAT KIND OF SPEED NOW GET THE FUCK OVER HERE NOW!"_ screamed Berkley.

Takeda lowered Nia's eyelids before placing her body gently on the floor before silently zipping up the bag he loaded. The three remaining survivors made their way to the bathroom and quickly informed Regina of the situation. She was horrified to see that her two companions were dead but she knew that dwelling over them would only make their mission more difficult. They quickly made their way to the database room, unaware that they were being followed stealthily...

* * *

**Inside The Database Room- Berkley's Group**

"Data's 67% downloaded," said Jessica.  
"Good...it won't be long then," said Berkley as he continued to search for files in the cabinets.  
"I can't believe it...not even fifteen minutes we've been here and we've already lost two people..." said Shia.

Warren lay a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. Sera continued to sift through the cabinets, dropping whatever Berkley approved of into the bag.

"I didn't expect for ZARIX prototypes to be here and loose...I'm sorry for not seeing that before," said Berkley as he put his hands to his forehead in disappointment.

Sam put a hand on Berkley's shoulder.

"You warned us all that this may happen and we couldn't be prepared for everything...let's just get this shit and get the hell out of this hellhole," said Travis.

Berkley nodded and looked back to his computer to see that the download was at 89%. Soon, the doors opened and the four survivors joined their friends. Jessica immediately ran to Takeda and hugged him, knowing full well what took place only minutes ago. He didn't respond until Shia joined him, embracing him lovingly. Regina stomped over to Berkley and grabbed him by the shirt collar.

**"Whatever the _FUCK_ you came here for _BETTER_ be worth it because I just lost my two best friends for this!"** she growled in an angry tone.

Berkley knew the only reason she wouldn't kill him here and now was because he may very well be humanity's last hope in ridding the world of the T-Virus. She shoved him into the chair he was sitting in before walking up to the door and leaning against it. Angela joined Berkley at the table and he seemed relieved that she was in one piece with the gentle smile he gave her. A loud beep signaled the completion of the download.

"Let's get the fuck out of this place," said Daniel.

Berkley nodded as he shoved all of his equipment into his bag and slung it over his shoulders. The survivors made their way back towards the security room only for blast doors to cut them off in the main lobby area.

**"Releasing Bioweapon TYPE: T-ZARIX ALPHA and Tyrant Model T-2089"**

"SHIT! THE AI LET US GET IN THERE!" said Berkley in a loud curse.

He quickly switched his headset on.

"Kai! I need you to get these doors open! We don't have a lot of time before the AI starts letting in the BOWs outside!" said Berkley.

He quickly opened his laptop and started to type frantically.

"The passwords are encrypted! SHIT! I need some time to decode them!" he said.  
"Then we'll give you that time," said Daniel.

Takeda took out his pistols and every armed survivor made a protective wall around Berkley.

"Make it quick...because I don't think we can give you much time," said Jessica.

Berkley nodded as he started to type frantically. A large muscular BOW walked from a doorway behind the large staircase and a larger version of the same four legged BOW that attacked Takeda's group earlier made it's way alongside it.

"Leave the four legged one to me," said Takeda coldly.

The survivors began to make their stand against the assaulting BOWs. The Tyrant began to sprint at Daniel who seemed to be the most heavily armed but the young soldier skillfully rolled out of the way and it ran into the wall. The huge BOW shrugged off the blow before following the retreating soldier upstairs. The remaining survivors moved upstairs with Jessica and Angela remaining behind to protect Berkley.

Takeda drew his sword and stared down the leader of the pack of creatures that resulted in the death of his cousin.

"You're going to pay for what you did to her..." he growled.

* * *

**Now that announcement! I'm opening character submissions again but not for survivors! YES! A Neo Umbrella Strike Team shall be in the works starting next chapter! Get going with your submissions people! I need about four characters so get cracking!**


	34. The Trickster's Warning

**(A/N): Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Keeping the flow going with this one so I hope you all are enjoying it so far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I do own this story and I'm sure you're all proud to have been an intergral factor in it's conception.**

* * *

**The Trickster's Warning**

**Downstairs- In The Lobby**

Takeda fired at the creature with whom he had a personal vendetta against but it dodged all of his shots before charging at him. He holstered both his pistols before unsheathing his mother's sword and parrying a swipe of it's tremendous claws. He threw it's arm off of him before spinning and unsheathing the second blade and managing to slice it's arm. It recoiled and spun around, smacking him with it's tail. He flew a short distance into a wall but quickly recovered and moved to attack again. He continued to relentlessly slash at the creature but it blocked all of his blows with it's claws. He felt himself begin to tire; he wasn't used to such a long battle. He knew that once he tired out, he would be an easy kill for such an agile beast. He sheathed one of the swords before drawing a pistol. The creature screeched before it's claws became longer. It's bloody body seemed to grow in muscularity as it stood on it's hind legs. It towered a good two feet above Takeda but he wasn't one to be fazed by mere height.

The two combatants charged at each other and clashed once again. Takeda took advantage of the opening by firing while the creature exposed it's underbelly. It took several shots before it screeched and threw Takeda off of it's claws with tremendous force, sending him flying into the staircase. He recovered again and just barely managed to leap over the railing to avoid a leaping slash by the beast. He landed and rolled to his feet and just managed to block another slash. He struggled to hold the claw away from his face with his sword. He quickly kicked the beast in the stomach before firing, this time managing to strike the creature eight times in the arm. It yelped in pain as it sprang back, licking it's now bleeding arm before charging at Takeda again. He barely got to react as the creature launched him into the air with a devastating blow. He hit the ground with a sickening thud and the creature prepared to deliver the finishing blow as it leaped onto the ceiling and screeched. Takeda knew what it would do next and raised his sword just in time for the creature to leap at him. He moved his head just out of reach of the claws though it did cut his face but it impaled itself upon his blade. He lifted the heavy body off of him and gasped for oxygen from the exhausting fight as he looked towards the upstairs. Intense gunfire indicated that the battle against the Tyrant was still going. Takeda rose to his feet before pulling out his sword and swinging it to rid it of the excess blood before sheathing it. As he began to walk away, the creature suddenly sprang to life and jumped toward him. He was brought to the floor once more as he struggled to keep it from biting his neck. Thinking quickly, he removed the survival knife from his jacket pocket and kicked the abdomen of the beast before he violently shoved the blade through it's eye socket. As soon as he did that, he stomped violently on the knife, cleaving the creature's head in two and spilling blood and brain matter all over the floor. He took another deep breath as he moved upstairs, not noticing that Jessica gave him an absolutely astonished gaze at his brutality.

"Your boyfriend's got a temper lass," said Angela with a smirk on her face.

Jessica knew that it wasn't like Takeda to be so brutal but she understood his reason for wanting to fight the BOW on his own.

* * *

**Upstairs- Receptionist Area**

"This isn't working! We need a plan!" shouted Olivia.

She quickly rolled out of the way of another charge by the large hulking beast, causing it to smash through the wall as if it were brittle. Warren looked down at his bag and suddenly felt an idea come on. He removed several pieces of C4 from his bag and opened one of them to smear the sticky substance on the untouched ones to allow it to stick to the moving hulk of mass. He ran towards the Tyrant and managed to attach one piece of the explosives but got knocked into Sam and Sera. Daniel caught onto his plan and quickly picked up the explosives he dropped and ran towards the hulking beast. It roared and swung a fist at the young soldier but he skillfully dodged it by ducking. He sprinted and slid on the ground before slapping another piece of C4 onto the Tyrant's body. He managed to move just in time to avoid a ground smashing punch. He fired a few shots at the Tyrant's face and it almost instantly shielded it's eyes with it's hand. With a roar that sounded remarkably like one of annoyance, it swatted Daniel aside only to eat a shotgun shot from Travis.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" he mocked.

The Tyrant marched towards him, completely ignoring the continuing gunfire.

"Hold your fire! We need to get far from it!" said Daniel.

Only upon closer inspection did the rest of the group realize that the Tyrant had enough C4 on it's body to blow the entire room to smithereens and they immediately ceased their fire. Takeda stared down the Tyrant, scanning for a weakness he could exploit before spotting it's face. He fired at it's face and it turned to chase him.

"I'll lead it away, blow it when I say it's safe to," he said.

He ran down the stairs with the Tyrant close behind him, obviously angry at the gunfire he unleashed on it's face. He tricked it into ramming into a wall as he jumped through the hole and led it away from the survivors. He knew that he wouldn't last very long, especially since he was exhausted but the loss of his cousin and her best friend weighed heavily on his soul; he didn't want anyone else to die under his watch. The Tyrant continued it's relentless chase, smashing anything in it's way to try and kill the fleeing man in front of it. Takeda found himself cornered but saw a chute behind the Tyrant. He fired again, emptying the the clip before throwing the pistol aside. He waited for his chance and slid through the Tyrant's legs before sprinting at full speed towards the chute.

"HIT THE DETONATOR!" he shouted.

He dove into the chute, only seconds before the explosion followed him down the chute. He however didn't prepare himself for the landing and met the concrete with his shoulder. With a loud groan of pain, he lay himself against the wall.

* * *

**Inside The Sewers**

_"Takeda! Are you ok?"_ said Angela.  
"I'm fine...I'm in the sewers so I'll wait here for all of you," he said.

He sighed deeply as he looked at his dislocated shoulder. He took off his jacket and put the sleeve in his mouth before holding his arm and closing his eyes. On the mental count of three, he pushed his arm with all his strength, letting a sickening popping sound echo through the deserted sewers. His teeth tore into the leather jacket but he managed to muffle most of the sound as not to attract too much attention.

"So Mr. Yuen...you were once again the hero?"

Takeda couldn't believe the voice he was hearing.

"What are you doing here..." he said.

The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be none other than Loki.

"I've been here for a while actually...I've been watching all of you," he said.  
"I take it you're the reason why the AI started back up after Berkley disabled it?" said Takeda.

Loki chuckled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about but I've been watching you to see exactly what you are planning to do," he said.  
"Why? Why does it matter to an assassin like you?" asked Takeda.  
"Immunity to this virus is a very appealing thought," he replied.

Takeda rose to his feet.

"I saw both of your companions in the equipment room...one of them was your cousin correct?" asked Loki.

Takeda shot him a glare but the assassin simply smiled.

"Your group is a very interesting one...I'll be sure to stick around for the fireworks once you all discover the truth," said Loki.  
"Truth? Truth about what?" demanded Takeda.  
"You'll see...it's inevitable that all of you will understand just how much shit you're in for doing all of this," said Loki.

Without a further word, the assassin left the injured Takeda alone in the tunnel.

* * *

**Two Hours Later- The Residential Complex**

"Excellent work everyone! I am very pleased to announce that I have everything that I require to do my research!" said Berkley.

He raised a glass.

"All of you did excellently...though I'm terribly sorry about the loss of Nia and Elena...their sacrifices will not be in vain however and I will not rest until I know the answers to the problem that is the T-Virus!" said Berkley.

With a collective murmur of agreement, the survivors clanged their glasses together for a celebration of a mission accomplished. Angela smiled and scooted close to Berkley who returned her gesture with a smile of his own.

"Is Takeda going to be alright?" asked Jonah.  
"He just needs to take it easy for a few days...man that kid is so crazy," said Travis.  
"It is rather insane for someone to willingly lead a Tyrant BOW away on his own...especially after fighting a ZARIX prototype," said Berkley.  
"He's pretty crazy alright...but he saved us so I'm thankful he's on our side," said Daniel.

Sera smiled as she took a sip of her champagne. Jonah gave Daniel a devilish grin as he walked away to the couch to sleep.

"So what do we do now?" asked Angela.  
"I'll get started on the research first thing in the morning so for the moment...all the work is over for you lot," said Berkley.  
"How long will you need?" asked Olivia.  
"I'd say two weeks is a fair estimate to begin with," he replied.

Olivia nodded as Kai stood up.

"Well I'm going to get some sleep...god knows after today I'm gonna sleep like a baby," she said.

Warren nodded in agreement as he made his way to the entertainment room and pulled out the couch bed.

"We should make a trip to the supermarket and get anything we'll need so we don't have to leave here unnecessarily," said Sera.

Everyone agreed unanimously; no one wanted to venture out if there wasn't a reason to in order to prevent anymore casualties. Jessica took a heated cup soup out of the microwave.

"See you all in the morning," she said.

She disappeared up the stairs and was soon followed by the rest of the survivors to their respective rooms.

* * *

**Daniel's Room**

"Mind some company?"

Daniel looked up to see Sera dressed in nothing but a large t-shirt and some shorts that were just a tad too short.

"Tired of Jonah's snoring I take it?" said Daniel.

She laughed softly before she sat on the bed.

"I still can't believe we lost Nia and Elena..." she said.

Daniel sighed as the woman lay back.

"I had a feeling we'd lost someone soon; our luck's been remarkable ever since this whole thing started," he said.  
"I'm just sorry that it was those young girls...they had so much more to do in this world," she said.

Daniel nodded in agreement.

"We can't let their sacrifice be in vain so Jerkley better get his act together or Regina's gonna make sure that he eats lead," he said.

Sera nodded in agreement.

"Heading to sleep now?" she asked.  
"Was thinking of it yeah," he replied.

A short pause followed.

"...Would you mind sharing?" she asked.  
"Don't want to hear Jonah's snoring again do you?" he asked with a chuckle.

She nodded sheepishly as he scooted over.

"I'll warn you right now that I'm a kicker," he said.  
"So am I," she replied as she scooted next to him.

He chuckled as he doused the light. He felt her bare arm against his and was astonished immediately.

"You're as cold as ice," he said.  
"...I can't help being anemic," she said.

To her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her along with another blanket.

"Sleep," he whispered.

With a soft sigh of relief, she obeyed him.

* * *

**Inside Berkley's Room**

"Not coming to bed?" asked Angela.  
"I have to get this research started...it's a lot of work to be done and not to mention testing," he said.

She roughly pulled him from the chair and shoved him onto the bed.

"Stop being a mule and get your ass to sleep; you've done enough for one day and a night's sleep for once won't kill ya," she said in an annoyed tone.

Berkley tried to retort but she silenced him by putting a stern finger on his mouth.

"Shut up and go to sleep," she ordered.

Berkley didn't feel like arguing against the Irish hothead so he surrendered and lowered himself into the bed after throwing his jacket and pants onto the chair beside his desk. Angela doused the lights before joining him.

"You did a good thing today...being so concerned for everyone," she said.

He smiled to himself in the darkness.

"I'm proud of you; you're really starting to seem like much less of an asshole than usual," she said.  
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a chuckle.

Her hands found their way to his chest and soon her head joined them.

"Feel bad for Takeda?" she asked.

He was silent for a few moments.

"I have to admit that it must've hurt a lot to lose his cousin and...I understand his pain," he said.

Angela kissed his lips as if in response to that answer.

"You're growing a heart in the black hole of yours," she said as she lay her head down.

It wasn't long before she became silent apart from her very light breathing. Berkley smiled to himself as he joined her in slumber.

* * *

**Inside Takeda's Room**

"You always seem to be getting hurt," said Jessica.

Takeda finished the soup she brought him before putting the garbage aside and laying down.

"If it means no one getting hurt then I'm all for it," he replied.

Jessica shook her head.

"Sometimes I really wonder if you're even capable of being mean to someone," she said as she sat beside him on the bed.

He shrugged as she scooted close to him.

"I'm...sorry about Nia," she whispered.

His eyes narrowed as he turned away.

"I...wasn't strong enough to help her...it's my fault," he said.

He felt his face move in response to her soft hands as she gazed into his eyes. They were filled with sorrow and she had never seen him shed tears before until now. As if a magnetic force acted upon her, she kissed him deeply. His good hand instinctively pulled the soldier closer, not caring about the weight she pressed against his injured arm. He pulled her into his lap and continued to kiss her back, his previous hesitation now gone thanks to her complete recovery. Her hands moved restlessly to his messy spiky hair and she had no reaction to his own restless hands coming to rest on her waist. Heavy breaths between the heated liplock followed for several minutes and it wasn't long before they found their outer garments removed, leaving him topless and her in bra and panties. Their passion continued for several minutes with neither lover backing away unlike all those other times. There was no distraction, there was no one else awake to call either of them away or interrupt...it was only them. Takeda tore himself from her lips but found his previous shyness absent from his mind and moved to her neck. She moaned softly but pushed away, her cheeks flushed with the desire to make him feel better but the sense of knowing that they would not be unnoticed if they went further.

"We'll wake up Kai and Jonah..." she whispered.  
"...Let them come...I don't care what they think," he replied.

Her eyes widened at his response before his hungry lips met hers once more. She didn't argue anymore for the rest of that heated night.

* * *

**In The Entertainment Room**

"Can't sleep can you?" asked Warren.  
"Big brother's so sad over everything," said Shia.

Shia sighed as he hugged her closer.

"He'll get over it...hopefully," he said.  
"A man who strives to do so much good shouldn't have to suffer the painful sting of loss," she said.

Warren gently let his fingers glide over her forehead in a comforting gesture.

"He's the best of us...we need to let him know that he's not alone anymore," he said.  
"Ironic coming from you," said Shia with a soft giggle in her tone.

Warren laughed softly at her comment.

"He's taught me that there's more to life than just surviving...because when you care about someone it makes you strive to do more than just survive..." he began.

He looked down at her face which was completely focused on his.

"It makes you strive to protect the ones you care for," he said.

She blushed profusely at his words before he kissed her. After several seconds, she moved away and snuggled into his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered.  
"Thank you..." she replied.

She couldn't think of a night prior to this one where she felt so safe.

* * *

**In A Remote Location**

"It seems that Mr. Stern has acquired much of our data," said a voice.  
"This could prove...problematic," said another.

A white gloved hand pressed the intercom button.

"Alyssa? Send in our guest," he said.  
"Yes Mr. Velks," she replied.

The door opened after a few seconds.

"You wished to see me sir?" said the man.  
"Yes Captain...I have a task for you," said Velks.

The man gave a wicked smile.

"What can I do to be of service to Neo Umbrella?" he said.  
"I need you to gather a team and make sure that the man on the screen never sees the end of his endeavors," he replied.

The captain looked at the screen to see Berkley's face before smiling.

"The British filth that dragged it's way into our ranks a while back?" he asked.  
"Yes...it seems he has acquired much of the files detailing the T-Virus which has plagued much of the continent just as planned but it will be problematic if this man develops a way to cure it or at the very least an immunity to uninfected," said Velks.

The man nodded.

"Give me two days and I shall be ready with a team," he said.  
"Excellent..." said Velks.

The captain turned to leave.

"Captain?" said Velks.

The man turned around to look at his employer.

"I also want you to kill any survivors along with him...and exterminate Experiment SEVEN before he becomes activated," he explained.  
"Does that mean..." he began.

Velks smiled.

"You are allowed to call..._her_ should you need the assistance," he said.

The captain smiled devilishly as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

**Awaiting the five submissions for the Neo Umbrella Team! Get cracking people!**


	35. God Help Us All

**(A/N): Yes my friends! Not one, not two but THREE updates in quick succession. I've been on a high as of late and I might as well get everything out right now before I forget it all. I hope you all continue to enjoy Finding The Haven! Thank you all for your submissions! I have a small announcement at the end of the chapter so be sure to read it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**God Help Us All**

**Takeda's Room**

Jessica shook the sleep from her head as her body came to life. The sunlight shining in her face was the culprit that disturbed her from her peaceful slumber which she had to admit was probably the most restful she had ever gotten thus far. She tried to move but felt a familiar warmth against her back. She looked back to see Takeda, fast asleep. She blushed as she recalled the events of the night and breathed a sigh of relief that he was still beside her; the dream she had did little to ease her worries of the state of the world. She eased his hand from around her and slipped out of his embrace to stretch her limbs. She felt sore in the abdominal area and suddenly realized that she was still bare. She blushed even more profusely upon remembering the more..._interesting_ parts of the night. She smiled inwardly to herself despite this; she knew that she wanted that for a while and premeditated it for several days before finally making her move. She took one last look at her sleeping boyfriend before entering the shower.**  
**

_"Maybe...I do love him..."_ she thought to herself.

* * *

**The Kitchen**

"Come on Dan! You know that it's been cooking too long!" said Kai.  
"I like my steaks toasty!" he said with a manly pose.

Sera rolled her eyes as she sipped the coffee she made.

"Will you two cut it out already? Some of us are starving!" said Angela with an annoyed tone.

Daniel rolled his eyes as he placed one of the steaks into a plate with rice and handing it to Angela. Upon receiving it, she smiled brightly.

"Alright, continue your bickering," she said sticking out her tongue.

Berkley chuckled at her attitude as he took a plate of his own.

"You make some good steaks lad," said Angela as she took a bite.  
"Old Williams Dry Rub recipe! One of a kind!" he cheered.

Kai took one of the steaks before smacking him with a spoon.

"One of a kind and takes so damn long," she said.  
"You can't rush art!" said Daniel passionately.

Kai rolled her eyes as she walked away from him and began to eat.

"Hey Travis! Lunch's on me!" he said.

Travis turned his attention from the TV and eagerly made his way to the kitchen.

"A1 me," said Travis.

Sera watched as the two men comically drizzled the steak sauce all over their plates and clanged their beers together.

"What about me?" said Jonah.

He quickly made his way and joined them in their celebration.

"LUNCH TIME!" they said in unison.

Olivia shook her head at the trio as she continued to read the book in her hand. Ever since Jonah joined the group, the three of them became like the Three Musketeers and really served as comic relief for everyone which was well needed in these harsh times. Berkley continued to look through the folder in his hand as he ate with the other, learning as much as he could with every second he could spare. Angela sat beside him though she made no move to stop him from his work as she did the night before. Warren sat across from him as he attempted to solve a Rubix cube with Shia watching him with amusement from his frustration.

"How the hell do you solve this thing in less than five minutes!" he growled.  
"Skill," teased Shia.

Warren put an unamused look on his face as she took the cube from him and much to his chagrin, solved it before his eyes.

"How you do that I'll never know..." he sighed.

* * *

**Takeda's Room**

Jessica clothed herself after the much needed cold shower. She came out of the shower to see her boyfriend still sleeping. With a smile, she approached him and gently ran a finger across his cheek. He stirred and opened his eyes.

"Morning sleepyhead," she teased.  
"We can sleep in now that we've done all the work we have to," he replied shrugging.

He sat up and stretched his arms.

"Go clean yourself," she said folding her arms.  
"Why? Because I smell so much like you?" he said.

She found herself caught completely off guard by his teasing. He smiled devilishly as he smoothly grabbed clothes and turned to enter the bathroom. He stopped several steps short.

"Did I...hurt you last night?" he asked.

Jessica found the memories once again rushing back. She knew that it would've been painful because it was her first time but she couldn't think of any other pain apart from the inevitable one. In fact, she may have hurt him because he did all of that with an injured arm.

"You were gentle...if anything I should be asking you because that arm of yours met concrete," she said looking away.

He turned to face her.

"I'm glad...I don't know what came over me last night...but I just needed you," he said.

She hadn't seen him turn such a bright shade of red before.

"I'm sorry if I forced you," he said.

She was instantly behind him and hugged him from behind.

"Believe me...I've been thinking of that for a while," she whispered.

She felt him stiffen, obviously astonished at her revelation.

"Go clean yourself up and I'll make you something to eat...and stop apologizing for everything because if I didn't want any of that, I wouldn't have let it happen," she explained.

She kissed his cheek and left the room. With a sigh of relief, he busied himself with cleansing his body of all evidence of their..._passionate_ night.

* * *

**Three Hours Later- Inside The Calcifer Pub, New York City**

"Tarik my friend! Welcome back!" said the bar owner.  
"Got any news for me Ernie?" asked Tarik.  
"What kind of news you thinkin' of?" asked Ernie.  
"The rumors of people kind," he replied.

Ernie picked up a glass and started to clean it. Ernie Wilson was one of the best in the business of digging up information on any person. If there was anything that Tarik needed to know about any person, Ernie was the man to go to.

"Usual?" he asked.

Tarik nodded.

"There's a couple of new faces over there," said Ernie as he gestured towards the large classical jukebox in the corner.

Tarik looked back to see several tough looking faces quietly enjoying their drinks.

"Anything on em?" he asked.  
"That chick over there's from Ireland, heard she's quite a hothead both on and off duty," he replied.  
"Record?" continued Tarik.  
"PIRA, her parents used to be in the IRA but some British SAS fucks murdered both of em," said Ernie.

Tarik smiled at the thought; she must be dying for revenge.

"That tough looking dark guy's name is Cole Mchamon and he's been with Neo Umbrella for a bit now...Private 1st Class when the whole bombing happened," said Ernie.  
"He's that Huntsman guy I've been hearing about?" asked Tarik.  
"Bingo," replied Ernie.

He handed Tarik his usual drinks, two mojitos and a mix of tequila and cola.

"And that little lady over there is one of those medics, she works for Neo Umbrella too," he said.  
"Anything interesting about her?" asked Tarik.  
"She's got one bitch of a temper...heard she beat the shit outta someone who tried to oppose her theory on the virus prevention vaccines," said Ernie.

Tarik moved to his second mojito as he eyed the Irish woman.

"I take it Velks had a lot to say when he called you?" asked Ernie.  
"He wants us to track down Berkley, you remember that guy right?" asked Tarik.  
"Boy do I ever...biggest asshole I've ever met in my life but he's got one hell of a head on his shoulders," said Ernie.

Tarik finished the second mojito before picking up his third and final drink.

"I need them in my team...wish me luck," he said.

Ernie put a brotherly hand on his shoulder.

"As much as I would love to see that British bastard dead...why are you doing this?" asked Ernie.  
"Neo Umbrella's got the biggest bank account out of any other company on the planet right now...that money will set me for the rest of my life," he replied.  
"But what's the point of killing Berkley? He can't really do anything to sabotage the company unless he's still working for it," said Ernie.

Tarik began to see Ernie's point; the fact that Berkley was attempting to create a cure for the T-Virus meant that it could benefit mankind overall. Tarik knew that the virus was a far cry away from reaching the safe haven of the Neo Umbrella's presence in New York City but he couldn't help but think as to why they would want the British genius dead.

"He's trying to develop a cure to the T-Virus," said Tarik.  
"And how's that a bad thing? I lost my family to that shit," said Ernie.

Tarik's eyes narrowed as memories of his beloved daughter came rushing back to him. She was only 14 when she was infected with the virus. At the time, Tarik was already a captain in the Neo Umbrella ranks and he had to plead for them to help her. In addition to payment, Velks promised that he would cure his daughter.

"Remembering Selina aren't you?" asked Ernie.  
"She's all I have left...and if she'll be fine after I do this then I'm all for it," said Tarik.

Tarik made his way over to Cole. Cole immediately glanced at him.

"What do you want pretty boy?" said Cole.

Tarik simply smiled and placed his drink on the table before sitting.

"You a soldier?" he asked.  
"What of it?" replied Cole as he took a slug of his beer.

Tarik clasped his hands together at looked at Cole, unaffected by his attempt at intimidation.

"I'm putting together a team...for a very important mission," he said.  
"And why should I care?" replied Cole.  
"Because I don't think you want someone to shut down Neo Umbrella and tear your paycheck into pieces," said Tarik.

Cole looked at him, obviously enraged at the young captain's words but took a breath.

"What's the mission?" asked Cole.  
"Assassinate a former Umbrella researcher and destroy his research," said Tarik.  
"What's the pay gonna be like?" asked Cole.  
"Enough to set you for the rest of your life," replied Tarik.

Cole put a hand to his chin and pondered for a moment.

"What's this about a mission for Umbrella?"

Tarik turned to see the medic.

"I need a team to undertake this...and I need people who are good at what they do," said Tarik.  
"Count me in," she said.

She held out a hand.

"Diane Bernalds," she said.  
"Tarik Cervell," he replied as he shook her hand.  
"I'm in too," said Cole.

Tarik smiled as Diane scooted into the booth beside him.

"I need one more person," said Tarik.  
"What about her?" asked Diane.

She pointed at the same Irish woman.

"I've heard she hates Brits so I don't exactly want to approach her with my accent," said Tarik.  
"We've got your back if she does anything," said Cole.

Tarik closed his eyes as he approached the woman. She turned to him, cold icy blue eyes meeting his dark brown ones.

"What do you want pretty boy?" she said.  
"You in my team," he replied.

She immediately had a look of disgust in her face upon noticing his accent.

"I don't talk with British scum like you," she said.  
"I'm not British, I simply spent time there," he replied.

He sat down and looked at her. She gave him an intense glare.

"I need someone in my team for a very important mission for Neo Umbrella," he explained.  
"I don't condone with fucking Brits so piss off," she said.  
"The mission is to kill Berkley Stern...considering you used to work for Umbrella you should know who he is," said Tarik.

She immediately recoiled at the name.

"The researcher? The son of a bitch who slept with half the female staff?" she asked.  
"The very same man," he replied.

She glared at him once again as he held out a hand to her.

"Interested?" he asked.

She reluctantly shook his hand but to everyone's surprise, she threw him against the table and wrenched his arm behind him.

"If you so much as fuck up once you're done for...got it?" she growled.

Tarik didn't respond. Instead, he skillfully kicked off the table and reversed their positions, wrenching her arm even further than she did his but ensured that he didn't cause her lingering damage.

"Don't threaten me...you don't want to get on my bad side," said Tarik.

She struggled to get free but Tarik released her. She turned around to see even colder eyes than she had ever done herself. She could practically see the aura of death that he radiated, as if a grim reaper's spirit floated behind him in an intimidating image.

"Felicia Macguire," she said with a sudden smile on her face.  
"Captain Tarik Cervell," he replied.

Cole and Diane approached them.

"All three of you report to this address on Friday at 12 PM, bring all your gear," he said.

The three of them synced their Umbrella issued PDAs to acquire the address.

"Don't be late," he said.

The young captain bid them farewell before taking his leave.

* * *

**Later That Night- Berkley's Room**

Berkley was hard at work trying to decipher more about the T-Virus but found himself at a block. He turned to see Angela fast asleep. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her in so much piece until a loud ping went off in his headphones. He turned to the screen and after some frantic typing, opened a program which allowed him to keep tabs on everyone still connected to the old Umbrella channels and frequencies.

_"Captain Tarik has gathered the team...they move out on Friday to find_ _Stern_,"

A short pause followed before soft laughter could be heard.

_"Excellent news...he'll never know that his work is in so much jeopardy,"_

Berkley felt the coldest shiver go down his spine upon hearing the voice.

"Shit...Velks..." he muttered under his breath.

Berkley knew exactly how efficient Tarik was at his job and cursed even more upon listening to their plan. If Tarik was leading the team, Berkley knew that they had to get out of Ventor Town as soon as possible and then disappear. He felt a pang of guilt upon realizing that his fellow survivors couldn't rest easy even now after they risked everything to gather what he needed to combat the T-Virus...but it was no longer about just him. He knew there would be no way he could survive on his own and with a team lead by Tarik, it would only be a matter of time before he found him and finished the job. At that moment, Berkley decided to drop his previous plans until he could ensure that they truly found their haven away from not only the undead, but also the clutches of a now furious Neo Umbrella.

_"If we don't find somewhere safe...God help us all,"_ he thought to himself.

* * *

**(A/N): I decided to reduce the team to 4 to make it a bit easier to write. Also, I didn't really want to make it like ORC so a smaller team seemed good to me. Hope you all don't mind. The team will be posted on my profile page and I'm also implementing a new element to everyone's sheets: status. What does this mean? Missing/Deceased/Unknown/Captured. Stuff like that because as of now, this story's gonna start getting really intense.**


	36. Everybody Runs

**(A/N): Four updates in quick succession? Madness isn't it? But anything for the fans! And as I said, I've been on a high lately so I've been cranking out a lot of stuff lately. Oh I'd also like to take the opportunity to say that I've opened a FictionPress account so I'll be firing off some original stuff on there so if any of you are interested, read and review! I'd really appreciate it as I try to evolve my skills as a writer!**

**Anyway, let's get right back to Finding The Haven!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am proud to be the owner of this story and I'm sure you are all proud to have been an integral factor in its presentation!**

* * *

**Everybody Runs**

"That's what you heard through the communications?" asked Olivia.  
"Unfortunately yes...we have two days before the team moves out to find us," replied Berkley.

He slammed his fist on the table.

"The captain of the team...is Tarik Cervell and he's not someone you want to mess with," said Berkley.

Berkley did some frantic typing before a picture of the captain appeared on the screen. Olivia and Daniel took a look. Tarik was a fair skinned man with short dark brown hair. He was definitely a handsome man despite his apparently evil intentions.

"This guy's the youngest captain in Umbrella's history...he was only 22 when he became a captain and he's been leading strike teams all over the globe for almost 7 years," said Berkley.  
"What's his story?" asked Daniel.

Berkley's eyes narrowed as painful memories rushed back to him.

"We used to be friends back when I worked at Umbrella," said Berkley.  
"What happened?" asked Olivia.  
"Tarik joined Umbrella at first to support his daughter...he donated his sperm to a bank in New York City at the age of 18 and the woman who took it had a baby...but she died giving birth to her," said Berkley.

Olivia's eyes widened and Daniel lowered his head as Sera put an arm around him.

"Tarik and I were friends at first sight but as Mr. Velks, one of the higher ups in Umbrella at the time decided to use him on many of the missions...and separate us," said Berkley.

Berkley wiped his face as if in regret before taking a breath.

"After a while, Velks gave me an assignment to test an improved version of the T-Virus on a human subject: Tarik's daughter," said Berkley.  
"Did you know it was her?!" demanded Shia.  
"No...I was told that she was one of the test tube grown subjects," said Berkley.

Shia put a hand over her mouth as she felt tears well up in her eyes. Takeda held her close to him and tried to comfort her.

"I infected her with the T-Virus...because if I didn't he'd make me the test subject instead of her and...it was a success," said Berkley.  
"There's gotta be a catch," said Travis.  
"Because she was so young at the early age of 9, she was rendered almost immobile from the tremendous pain the virus brings on when it tried to replicate it's cells," he explained.  
"So Tarik's doing all of this in hopes that Velks will cure her," said Jessica.

Berkley nodded.

"The virus has completely bonded to her DNA and she's practically just like that famous bioterrorist Albert Wesker only that she has no idea what's going on with her nor does she possess the capacity to use her abilities," said Berkley.  
"So she can't be cured?" asked Sam.  
"Because the virus had bonded to her, she cannot be cured of the virus itself but it has a component which causes her pain due to it's attempt to integrate with her bones and nerves...that component can be improved upon and the pain removed entirely," said Berkley.  
"So that's what Velks promised Tarik and did everything he said...for all those years," said Takeda.  
"As of now, he's been serving Neo Umbrella for 9 years but he's done much more than he usually does in an attempt to save her," said Berkley once again as he closed his laptop.

Travis folded his arms.

"Those bastards make me sick to my stomach just thinking about it...how can they do that kind of shit to a little girl..." growled Jessica.  
"Tarik will do whatever it takes to save Selina so we need to get out of here as soon as possible," said Berkley.

"What do you suggest?" asked Angela.

Berkley looked at the map that he pasted to the wall.

"We need to get out of America...because Tarik doesn't just track...he relentlessly hunts," said Berkley.  
"Like hunting dog?" asked Jonah.  
"Like a _wolf_," said Berkley.

Jonah thought for several minutes.

"What about getting into the Caribbean?" he suggested.  
"The sporadic islands could be a very good place to hide," said Berkley as he rubbed his chin.  
"That sounds like a plan," said Travis.

Mutual agreement spread amongst them until Regina looked at Berkley with cold eyes.

"So we have to run because you're the one being hunted?" asked Regina.  
"Tarik will kill anyone who gets in his way and believe me; the fact that he knows I took the data can only mean that Neo Umbrella knows exactly who each of us are," said Berkley.

Regina growled and slammed her fist against the wall.

"Can you drop the shitty attitude and think about this? Do you want Elena and Nia's deaths to be in vain?" said Takeda.

Regina looked at him in disbelief.

"You're not the only one feeling the pain of loss here and if you think you are, grow the fuck up and think about the future," growled Daniel.

Again mutual agreement spread amongst the group.

"Nia was one of the few family that I know off who was still alive so I know what it's like to lose people important to you...now are you with us or not?" asked Takeda.

He released his sister who had finally calmed down and held out a hand to Regina. She was silent for a few moments before she put her hand in his.

"You better develop that cure or I'm going to make you regret making me follow you everywhere," she said.

Berkley smiled.

"We're going to have to pack up everything quickly and get going; Tarik will move out in two days and we need to get as far away as possible from him if we're going to even stand a chance at surviving," said Berkley.

Everyone nodded and immediately set to work. Berkley sighed deeply.

_"I'm sorry Tarik...I'm so sorry..."_ thought Berkley to himself.

* * *

**Tarik's Apartment- Later That** **Night**

"Selina!"shouted Tarik.

He shot from his bed, gasping and panting. He wiped the sweat from his face as he turned to the picture of his daughter.

"I...I'm going to save you...I'll do whatever it takes," he said.

He knew that he shouldn't be so caring about a girl that he didn't even legally father himself but when she showed up on his doorstep in her raggedy clothes and starving, he couldn't turn her away. He could still remember the first day he met her right up to the fateful day that everything changed...

**Five Years Ago- Tarik's Apartment**

"I'll be there for sure mate," said Tarik.  
_"You gotta get out a bit more buddy; you're an antisocial wreck,"_ said Ernie.

A loud knock on his door broke him away from his conversation.

"I'll see you later Ernie," he said as he shut the phone.

He opened his door to see a very young girl on her knees panting.

"Excuse me sir...can you spare something to eat?" she said.

Tarik couldn't believe how weak she sounded. Upon examining her closely, he couldn't help but see a resemblance to him reflected in her face. Suddenly, she fell to the floor, completely passed out. Feeling his heart tugging at his judgement, he picked the girl up in his arms and carried her inside.

After two hours, she finally stirred. In the time she was unconscious, Tarik took the liberty of bathing her and replacing her clothes with ones that he bought. He was waiting patiently for her with a plate of food on the end table beside her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
"Yes...thank you," she said.

He handed her the plate and she immediately began to dig in, chewing through everything in the plate in mere minutes.

"What're you doing wandering the streets of London?" asked Tarik.

The girl was silent for a few minutes before turning to face him.

"I'm looking for my daddy...and I think you're him," she said.

His eyes widened; he had never slept with a woman before and the only thing that could've possibly happened was that she was born of the sperm he donated in order to pay for his college books.

"Are you sure you have the right person?" he asked.  
"I look a lot like you...don't I?" she asked.

He couldn't deny that she bore an uncanny resemblance to him in her facial features. He closed his eyes for several seconds before taking a breath.

"You have nowhere to go do you?" he asked.  
"I've been on my own since I was 9...mommy died after giving birth to me and I was raised in an orphanage outside of town," she replied.  
"I take it that you didn't want to stay there anymore?" he asked.

She shook her head before he sighed softly.

"Well...I'll tell you what, you can stay here and first thing next week, we'll go get you tested to see if you really are my daughter," he said.

She smiled brightly and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you daddy!" she squealed.

Tarik couldn't help but embrace the girl and welcome the warm feeling of care into his heart...something he hadn't felt since his parents were still around.

**Three Weeks Later**

"Hi Daddy!"

Tarik smiled as she hugged him tightly after he returned from his part time job at the local gun store.

"Hey I'm sorry I'm late," he replied.  
"It's ok! I kept the door locked just like you said!" she said with a smile.

He smiled as he rubbed the girl's head before picking her up and placing her in the dining chair.

"I got the results from the hospital...about you being my daughter," he said.

She looked at him, terrified that she may have been wrong with her previous accusation. Her worries eased when she noticed the bright smile on his face.

"Looks like I'm your old man after all," he said.

The girl hugged him tightly.

"I knew I would find you daddy...I'm sorry that I came out of nowhere but...I just had no one else to turn to..." she said.

He knew the guilt she had to be feeling because she technically disobeyed the law by seeking her biological father. He knew that she would never had done this if she had the choice to avoid it but here she was, in his arms.

"You don't have a name yet do you?" he asked.

She shook her head and he put a finger to his chin.

"How about Selina?" he asked.  
"I like it!" she approved happily.  
"It was my mother's name...it only makes sense that I name my daughter after her," he said.

He embraced her once more, relishing in the fact that the girl was truly his flesh and blood.

* * *

**Present Time**

The ring of a cellphone snapped the young captain out of his thoughts.

_"Captain Cervell,"_ said Velks.  
"Yes sir," he replied.  
_"I certainly hope I didn't interrupt your sleep but I have excellent news for you,"_ he said.  
"What is it sir?" he asked.  
_"Our researchers have finally pinpointed the method to removing your daughter's inescapable pain and they have promised that the change will be done in two months due to having to synthesize a very potent dose of special antibodies to balance the virus's cells within her bones and nerves,"_ he said.

Tarik's eyes widened.

"So she's going to be okay?" he asked.  
_"She'll be fine...once you complete this mission for us,"_ said Velks.

Tarik immediately felt an increased burst of anger and rage upon thinking of Berkley.

"Understood, we head out on Friday," he said.  
_"Finish this and you'll get your daughter back, you have my word,"_ said Velks.  
"Thank you sir,"

Velks hung up the phone and Tarik clenched his fist.

"I'm going to make that bastard pay for what he did to her..."

* * *

**(A/N): The Neo Umbrella Team sheets will be up a bit later on, I just decided to post this before hitting the hay tonight because I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again due to severe internet issues. Anyway, remember my FictionPress account so be sure to look out for original works from yours truly!**


	37. Diary Log 13

**(A/N): Time for a log! Sorry if I've kind of broken the intense atmosphere I've created but I haven't done a log in a very long time and I feel as if I'm neglecting that tradition. I'm actually doing this at school right now so I'm not sure when I'll be able to do an actual story chapter considering my internet is about as fast as a turtle on land. I'll do my best to update for you guys but for now, please enjoy this log!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil but I am the owner of this story and I'm thankful for all who helped to make Finding The Haven what it is today.**

* * *

**Diary Log #1: Regina Clarke**

**Diary Entry #17**

_August 7th 2013_

_We left for Jamaica a few hours ago. I gotta hand it to that kid Daniel; he knows how to fly a plane very well. Apparently they had been using a British Airways plane for their trips and we were fortunate enough to find it unscathed though we had to fight our way to it due to the zombies and BOWs piling up. We thankfully managed to get through it without anyone getting injured though Takeda's collision with the concrete still hasn't healed completely but he was well enough to be able to use his sword to almost his usual efficiency. I wasn't keen on following everyone to Jamaica but I suppose it was better than sitting in Ventor and waiting for that team to slit our throats in our sleep._

_I still miss Nia and Elena...they were my only companions throughout this entire ordeal. I regret many things but being unable to help them escape those things was probably the thing I regret most. I couldn't blame anyone for anything because we all agreed to this despite the warnings from Berkley. I should've stayed in the room...maybe they would've had a better chance but I knew I had to watch out for any employees or guards otherwise the entire group might've met their fate. I knew the risks and I still couldn't believe that I had the nerve to blame the man who was trying to make everything better for the world. I've spent all of my time away from these people since their deaths though Takeda's sister always tried to bring me into the conversations. I had to hand it to her; she had the heart of gold that not really any of them do._

_Takeda and I have been talking a little, mostly about Nia and how she fared against the outbreak. Nia of the three of us was the youngest but was for some odd reason she was also the most calm. Even before I met him, he was always mentioned as the one who trained with her in martial arts. He was pretty cold back then but he would always thaw around his family. Maybe that's why he turned into a hard ass killer when he fought the BOW back at the facility. I could've sworn I heard moans from his room but then again...I drank a lot of alcohol that night. He definitely cares about Jessica and I could definitely imagine him risking it all to keep her safe. Sometimes, I couldn't help but admire his kindness and dedication to everyone. I even see him warming up to Berkley who was largely the biggest asshole of them all._

_I don't know why I decided to write in this thing...I guess it's because I needed a way to vent and I didn't trust any of them enough to confide in. Hopefully, Jamaica doesn't hold too many surprises for us. Jonah claims it's a nice place and considering that it's an island and also that we all decided to abandon the excessive electronics, we shouldn't have too much trouble staying under the radar from the strike team...at least so we hope. I definitely need to figure out how I can help contribute to the group because I feel as if I've been weighing everyone down. It wasn't like me to be this considerate but I don't think Nia and Elena would've wanted anything less._

_Till Next Time_

_Regina_


	38. Diary Log 14

**(A/N): Back again! Been busy with school but I bring you another log in Finding The Haven! I haven't been able to sit down and work on the main story but I'm doing my best for you guys! I totally appreciate all the support and reviews you all dish out so be sure to leave them! Anyway, here's the next piece of the puzzle!**

* * *

**Diary Log #14**

**Diary Log #1: Tarik Cervell**

**Diary Entry # 30**

_August 9th 2013_

_Today is the day the team moves out to find Berkley and his group of survivors. The first place we would be checking is in Ventor Town where he was last seen. Knowing how smart he is, he's probably already figured out that we're coming for him and has already moved somewhere else to get off the radar. It wasn't hard to imagine that he would be very difficult to find even with our much more advanced technology. Still...he's a very confident man and he's bound to make a mistake somewhere along the lines._

_I'm hopeful that I do not have to take very long on this assignment; Selina has suffered enough on my account and now that Velks finally found the method to curing her pain, I need to make sure that this gets done...I know its not right for me to care about her so much considering that I legally am not obliged to do anything but...she's all I have. After my brother passed two years ago from cancer and my mother being in the safe haven of China, she's the closest thing I have to family at the moment. I could only imagine the suffering she endured after her mother passed away._

_Its not like I had much going on until Velks recruited me into his ranks...I was a guy who took the world on as it came on a daily basis. I didn't have any friends apart from Ernie and a few subordinates who I had gotten close to after years of work together. No one however was really worthy of noting as I kept everyone at an arms length because the kind of work that I do pretty much makes it difficult for me to get attached to people because I had no idea if I would ever see them again. It was part of the job description that came with being Umbrella's top military strike team leader._

_Velks discovered me after examining my military record and personally invited me to work for him over dinner at a fancy restaurant. I was skeptical at first after having read about the first outbreak that caused the obliteration of Raccoon City but he managed to convince me otherwise. Obviously I was mistaken but I couldn't back out because Selina's bond with the virus...that Berkley applied to her DNA. I'm going to make that son of a bitch pay for what he did to her..._

_I still couldn't believe that my best friend would do something like that...especially to someone I care so much about. I had no idea how I became friends with such a class A prick but we had many beer nights, me playing wingman for whatever woman he wanted in the bar and we worked on projects together. Sometimes I wondered if he faked all of our fun together just to get what he wanted...but even he wouldn't do something so horrible...would he? I could only imagine because I would never be able to ask him considering my mission is to remove him from this world along with all of his research. This however brings me back to Ernie's point about the virus being a bad thing and a cure could improve the world as a whole...especially since many people have lost family or more to it. I suppose I didn't think too much about that side because all I have is Selina._

_I certainly hope I made some good choices for the team. Cole certainly seems like the dependable type and considering his reputation as the Huntsman, he seems like the perfect choice for our long range specialist; he could probably shave the wings off a fly given the tools. Felicia is definitely someone I'm going to have to get used to; her distrust of everyone and her cold blooded hatred for all British people makes it extremely problematic...especially since my time there has caused me to develop somewhat of an accent. Diane is definitely the easiest amongst the squad to get along with considering her welcome yet slightly disturbing enthusiasm._

___Will make note of everything as it comes._

_Tarik._


	39. The First Casualty

**(A/N): Hello readers! I sincerely apologize for my long absence but I assure you that none of my stories have been abandoned. A lot's been going on but I'll get to that at the end of the chapter because right now, I owe you all some content don't I?**

**Let's get right back to it! Long author's note at the end and a few announcements as well.**

* * *

**EDIT: Uploaded the wrong file. The previous version has a bunch of holes I initially forgot to fill. Apologies for that! (Gotta start naming my files uniquely).**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: The First Casualty**

"So this is Jamaica huh?" said Daniel.  
"Home sweet home," said Jonah.  
"Hate to break it to you mate but it doesn't look so homely," said Berkley as a matter of factly.

Jonah looked around only to see the Norman Manley International Airport completely deserted.

"The airport is never this empty…something must've happened," said Jonah  
"Maybe the virus made it down this far?" asked Sera.  
"I wouldn't put it past this thing; it spreads faster than the Black Plague," said Berkley.

Takeda pointed at an entrance but much to everyone's surprise, a lone man stumbled out of the entrance, blood soaked but otherwise unscathed. The group immediately sprinted to him. Jonah began to talk to the man in a language no one else seemed to understand.

"What's he saying?" asked Takeda.  
"He said some crazy people attacked the staff, he didn't get hurt but he had to fight off some of them," he replied.

Everyone felt a shiver run down their spine knowing now that the T-Virus had made it down even to an isolated island like Jamaica. Jonah once again conversed with the man for a few moments.

"He said he's the only survivor," said Jonah.  
"Shit…that's not good," said Jessica.

Olivia pointed towards a pair of military jeeps at a hangar on the outer rim of the runway.

"How far is the place?" asked Regina.  
"About half an hour," replied Jonah.

Everyone nodded and took the man into the jeep. Berkley as usual took the driver seat for one of the cars while Kai took the other. Following Kai's lead with Jonah's guidance, the group slowly made their way towards their supposed haven.

Takeda looked to his little sister who still had not slept; no doubt due to nightmares about him. He knew exactly why she was the way she was and he knew that for once, he could do nothing for her except be supportive; it was up to her to conquer her personal problems on her own. He hugged her closer.

"Sleep…your eyes are bloodshot and you have bags," said Takeda.

She nodded and leaned against him, allowing her body to relax in a hopeful attempt at passing into slumber.

"She's still having those nightmares huh?" asked Jessica.  
"Yes…this is about the fifth day in a row she hasn't slept well," said Takeda.  
"Poor girl shouldn't have to go through this shit," said Daniel.

Warren looked at her with concern clear on his face but was otherwise silent.

"I have to be more careful when we move out; I keep getting hurt and it puts so much strain on her mind," said Takeda.  
"Stop being a hero for once man; it almost got you killed twice," said Daniel.

Takeda knew that it was completely against his morals but he had no choice for the sake of his sisters sanity.

"I don't think there are any more survivors in the area so we should be fine just camping out at this place Jonah is taking us to," said Berkley.  
"Hopefully it's not infested," said Angela with disdain clear in her voice.

It wasn't long before the group finally arrived at their haven.

* * *

**The University Of The West Indies: Entrance**

Upon arrival to the campus, Jonah explained that he used to work as a track coach for the students there and that he knew how to get inside one of the residence halls due to it having no security gate. They arrived at Taylor Hall, the northern most residence hall which was astonishingly deserted. Much to everyone's disdain, several half eaten corpses littered the ground but no sign of life was present.

"We'll make sure the hall's clear," said Jessica.

Daniel nodded and followed his sister and Jonah into the hall, guns primed and ready to take down any of the undead that may be lurking inside. The rest of the group waited patiently for their return only for several gunshots to go off. Takeda instinctively tried to get out of the car but Berkley stopped him, grabbing his arm firmly.

"They can handle themselves," he said.

Takeda tore his mind from his companions engaged in what seemed to be a fight in favour of his early idea of not trying to be a hero.

"We'll go and make sure they're fine," said Regina.

She gestured to Olivia and the two of them made their way into the hall through the large open grill. Ten nerve wracking minutes passed before Jonah returned.

"It's clear," said Jonah.

The group made their way inside, Takeda carrying his sleeping sister in his arms with Regina and Samantha carrying the injured man inside. After laying them both on bed inside one of the small infirmary, the group looked toward another pressing matter: supplies. They were not able to carry much of the supplies they had and it was a tremendous waste of gas to make multiple trips from the campus to the airport.

"There's a supermarket on the other side of campus," said Jonah.  
"How convenient," said Samantha with a smile.  
"Some of us should stay in case there are more of those things," said Daniel.

Takeda volunteered to remain behind as did Jessica, Regina and Samantha.

"Some of you should come with me so we can secure the labs for Berkley to work in," said Jonah.

Daniel, Sera and Angela volunteered to follow Jonah to the labs with Berkley in tow with the majority of the small equipment to set up in there once secured. The rest of the group decided to go to the supermarket to get as much supplies as possible to bring them back to the hall and to avoid having to leave the hall unnecessarily.

"Stay on radio contact," said Jessica.

A mutual nod indicated agreement. Taking one jeep, the group to secure the labs moved out an the supply runners did as well.

* * *

**Two Hours Later- Inside Shia's Room**

"Is she looking any better?" asked Jessica.  
"She still hasn't woken up," replied Samantha.

Regina looked towards Takeda who had fallen asleep at his sister's side.

"That kid's the best brother a girl could ask for," said Regina.  
"He's been taking care of her even before shit hit the fan," said Samantha.  
"Something not many people would do considering how difficult their life could get," said Jessica.

The three women looked at each other.

"You think we'll be safe here?" asked Samantha.  
"I haven't seen any more infected so I believe we're at least ok for now," said Jessica.  
"I wouldn't get too comfortable; luck's been a cunt to us lately," said Regina.

As pessimistic as her words were, Jessica couldn't help but agree with her; Jonah was sure that Jamaica was largely untouched by the virus but he was proven wrong.

"I guess we better just hunker down here and hope Berkley can get his work done," said Samantha.  
"Hopefully Jerkley can give us some peace of mind," said Regina.

The three women chuckled at her name for the man.

"You're not bad Regina," said Jessica.  
"Someone's gotta give us some laughs besides your corny brother," she replied with a shrug.  
"Guess that's true," said Samantha with a smile.

Jessica approached her sleeping boyfriend before climbing into the bed with him. Samantha and Regina immediately left the room, knowing that the couple needed a moment to themselves. Jessica nudged him, causing him to stir.

"I know it was hard to not come inside with us," she said.  
"I have to be less reckless to put her mind at ease," said Takeda.

Jessica nodded.

"She's not the only one you need to give peace of mind..." she said.

Takeda looked at her, his eyes being the only sign that he was astonished with her words.

"As much as I appreciate what you do for us...you need to let others handle some of it because you've looked death in the eyes more times than any of us," she said.

Takeda's eyes narrowed, soaking in her words and their meaning but nodded.

"I'll only help if it is needed then," he said.

Jessica could tell that it was extremely difficult for Takeda to bring himself to let his only remaining companions, let alone the girl he loved inside without his watchful eye looking out for them. She kissed his cheek.

"Don't ever think it's selfish to not help because we all know that you're the most selfless person of us all," she said with a smile.

He smiled back at her before meeting her lips in a kiss.

"Thank you...I appreciate it," he said.

Jessica had no idea how he did it but whenever he smiled genuinely, there was no other sight like it. She knew that he lived a difficult life since the start of the outbreak and the worry he had for his last remaining family member and also for the entire group was what drove him to action on most accounts. It was times like these that she wished they had met under more normal circumstances...

* * *

**The University Of The West Indies: Hi-Lo Supermarket**

"I'm surprised looters haven't emptied this place," said Travis.  
"Guess luck's not such a bitch after all?" said Kai.  
"Still...this place isn't completely untouched..." said Travis.

There were a few bodies littered on the outside and a few people who seemed to be shot and killed inside the supermarket but the place was otherwise well packed.

Warren finished packing a bag full of groceries and threw it into the trunk of the CRV.

"Something eatin' ya kid?" asked Travis.  
"Shia's not feeling well...little worried," he replied.

Travis put a brotherly hand on his shoulder.

"She's in good hands back there, she'll be fine," he said.

Warren looked up at the large man to see a smile. Seemingly satisfied with his words, he continued packing.

"Travis? Can you load these cases in?" asked Kai.  
"No problemo," he replied.

As if it were nothing more than a paperweight, Travis picked up three complete cases of bottled water and placed them into the trunk. Kai shook her head at the man's otherwise ridiculous strength.

"What? Never seen a guy lift that much in one go?" he asked.

Kai opened her mouth to say something but instead kept quiet and continued her packing, much to Travis's amusement.

"Company," said Warren.

Both adults turned with their guns raised only to meet an equal number of rifles pointed at them.

"Drop di fuckin guns!" said one of two men.

Kai knew that they didn't stand a chance. The second man eyed her like a piece of meat.

"Long time mi no see a gyal," he said.

Warren quickly dashed over to the second one and yanked his arm behind his back before holding his own pistol to his face.

"Drop it or your friend dies," said Warren.

Kai seized the opportunity to shoot the other man in the leg, causing him to drop like a sack of bricks to the floor.

* * *

**The University Of The West Indies- Chemistry Department**

"This will be perfect for my work," said Berkley.

Jonah threw the last body of the zombies they slew out of the room.

"It'll be a bit of a trip each day but at least you can set up shop in here," said Angela.  
"Thanks," said Berkley.  
"No problem, whatever you need to get your work done," said Jonah.

Berkley placed most of his equipment in their appropriate places.

"I won't do anything today; I'm tired," he said.  
"Let's get back then shall we?" said Angela.

The trio made their way back outside only for Berkley to stop them and point at a room down the corridor.

"There's something in there," he said.

Angela looked to see Daniel and Sera still on watch for anything coming.

"Should we tell them?" asked Angela.  
"This is something we can handle ourselves and we don't want to risk Daniel because he's the only one who can fly a plane here," said Jonah.

The trio nodded before making their way slowly to the room, weapons primed. A loud growl caused Berkleys eyes to open wide.

"That sounds...like a Hunter," he said.

The tone of his voice sent chills down both his companions spines but Jonah volunteered to move inside and check the room. They immediately regretted the decision to allow him inside alone when he was sent flying back through the doorway, slamming into a large wooden plank and splintering it. The Hunter leaped through the door, roaring viciously as it eyed it's next two victims. Berkley immediately noticed that this Hunter was much larger than it's usual counterpart and its claws were even longer. From the gore and blood on it's mouth, it seemed as if it just fed on something, dead or not. He immediately pulled out his gun and fired at it, only for it to dodge his bullets and send him flying through a window much like Jonah did to the plank. Angela ducked out of the way of a swipe before firing a shell from her shotgun only for the shrapnel to cling harmlessly off it's skin.

"It's a mutated form! We have to get out of here!" shouted Berkley.

Jonah finally regained his senses before looking at his two companions. Realizing that Berkley was dazed and that Angela's weapon was of no use against the beast, he took a breath and rubbed the grenade in his pocket.

"You two go, I'll lead it away," said Jonah.

Angela looked at the man with disbelief.

"Are you crazy?! You'll die!" said Angela.  
"And if Berkley and you go we can kiss the cure goodbye," said Jonah.

Angela disdainfully shook her head and reached for her radio only for Jonah to tackle her to the floor, saving her from a swipe.

"We're not bringing anyone else here and risking more heads! Get your asses out of here!" shouted Jonah.  
"But Jonah-" said Angela.  
"DON'T FUCKING QUESTION ME! GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed.

Five elongated claws went through his chest cavity and he coughed out blood. He immediately drew his combat knife

"ANGELA LET'S GO!" shouted Berkley.

The Irish hothead painfully tore her gaze from her friend as they made their escape. Jonah turned his head to face the Hunter and he smiled as he pulled a lone grenade from his pants pocket.

_"Looks like I can finally see my people again,"_

He pulled the pin and held the explosive up.

"If I go down, you're coming with me croc face!" shouted Jonah.

Not five seconds later, a tremendous explosion destroyed the room, the shockwave knocking Berkley and Angela to the ground. The duo looked down at the ground, growling and slamming their hands on the grass and cursing in their own words.

"This isn't going to sit well with everyone..." said Berkley.  
"Especially Kai," said Angela.

They nodded as they made their way back to the car only to see Daniel and Sera sprinting towards them.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" he screamed.

Angela disdainfully relayed the events, causing Sera to put a hand over her mouth in shock and Daniel to hug her close.

"Let's get out of here...there's nothing we can do," said Berkley.

* * *

**15 Minutes Later- The University Of The West Indies- Taylor Hall**

"What?!" shouted Travis.  
"He gave his life for us," said Angela.

Kai sulked away with Jessica followed her, knowing that she was likely the only one who could get through to her.

"There weren't any other infected in the area...one of those Hunters must've gotten away from the military strike here and hid in that room until more prey arrived," said Berkley.

Berkely slammed his fist on the counter.

"And it seems to have mutated even further...no doubt due to the amount of time it's been alive..." said Berkley.

Takeda closed his eyes and turned away.

"If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have made it here..." said Shia.

Her previously baggy and red eyes were now back to their usual velvet.

"Yeah...gotta hand it to that guy that he really gave us a fighting chance," said Travis.  
"Didn't know him that long...but he was a good friend," said Daniel.

Each member of the group expressed their sentiments for their fallen comrade.

"This is our first casualty," said Regina.  
"What do you mean our first? Have you forgotten about Nia and Elena?" growled Sera.  
"What I mean is that now we can't go in such few numbers anymore; if a guy as fast as Jonah got mauled by just one of those things, imagine a group of them," said Regina.

As harsh as Regina's words were, she was undoubtedly right about that: it wasn't safe for the group to move without a capable combatant with them.

"I propose we start practicing with guns as of tomorrow; the last thing we want to do is have someone die because they couldn't defend themselves," said Regina waving in a hand in practicality.  
"I agree," said Angela as she stood up.  
"Guess I can pass on what I know,"

Jessica came out of the room where Kai went.

"I'm the best shot here and Daniel's second so as of tomorrow, you're in for the William School Of Hard Knocks," said Jessica.

Daniel forced a smile; with Jonah gone it was more important for there to be comedic relief in the group than ever.

"Get up bright and early folks; school's in!" said Daniel.

* * *

**Later That Night- Kai's Room**

"You feeling better?"

Kai turned to see Jessica at the door.

"Not with your boyfriend?" she asked.  
"He's checking on his sister," she replied.

Kai scooted over on the bed to give her space to sit.

"I'm really sorry about Jonah...I knew you two were close," said Jessica.  
"Like the big brother I never had," she replied.

Jessica put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.

"At least he went out with a bang," she said.

Jessica smiled slightly.

"He died to protect Berkley and Angela...for that I'm not mad at him," she said.  
"Though it's pretty questionable why he'd blow himself up to save an ass like Jerkley," said Jessica.  
"When you're the only hope the world has at a cure to this virus, you'll get saved a over a lot of people," said Kai.

Jessica nodded slowly.

"How's our guest?" asked Kai.  
"Sam patched him up really nicely so hopefully he'll be ok," said Jessica.  
"No signs of infection?" she asked.  
"No bites or anything of the sort, he just got cut up a lot," said Jessica.

Kai sighed in relief.

"Don't take death very well do you?" asked Jessica.  
"You have no idea..." she said wiping her face.

Jessica rubbed her shoulder.

"You gonna be ok?" she asked.  
"I hope so...anything on the agenda tomorrow?" she asked.  
"We're gonna head into the town and look for survivors after practice, apart from that it's really waiting for Berkley to do his thing," said Jessica.

Kai nodded.

"You have to learn how to handle a gun; I don't want you being helpless when you're faced with one of those things," said Jessica.

She nodded once more as Jessica gave her a hug.

"I'm two rooms down if you want to talk ok?" she said.

With a final nod, Jessica left Kai to her own devices.

* * *

**Meanwhile- In A Hotel In Florida**

"We're sleeping here for the night?" asked Cole.  
"Hell of a lot better than the other places I go," said Diane.

Tarik wordlessly rested his gear beside his bed.

"We leave at noon tomorrow so get some rest," he said.

Cole smiled and walked into the adjoining room.

"This side is mine so you two go over there with him," said Tarik.

Diane looked at him, clearly puzzled.

"You're that much of a loner?" asked Felicia.  
"I'm not talking about it," he replied.

His tone was icy cold but Felicia was adamant. Diane however made herself scarce, fully understanding what the captain was capable of.

"You realize that being cold to us isn't going to help the mission in any way right?" she said.  
"This is not a bridge you want to cross; get out or I'll make you," he said.

Felicia didn't think his tone could get any icier but he once again proved her wrong.

"You have a personal stake in this don't you?" she asked.

Tarik clenched his fists as Felicia leaned to the right and noticed a photo sticking out of his bag.

"What's that?" she asked pointing at it.

Tarik ignored her and shoved it deeper into his bag. Felicia approached him but much to her surprise, the captain grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall.

"I told you to leave it alone," he said.

Felicia smiled and held up the photo, somehow getting ahold of it amidst the chaos. She looked at the picture to see Tarik and Selina together. She would never have thought her captain capable of smiling and holding such a cute child in his arms without hurting her.

"Is that...your daughter?" she asked.

Tarik released her from his grip and turned away, wordlessly.

"Velks has had her under his experiments for a long time trying to find a way to relieve the pain the virus is causing her," he said.  
"Is this the same girl that Berkley experimented on?" she asked.

Tarik clenched his fist but Felicia put a hand on his shoulder, seemingly calming him slightly.

"I'm sorry about that...I had no idea it was this personal," she said.  
"It's why I'm going to kill that son of a bitch," he said.  
"You two were best friends...weren't you?" she said.

Tarik nodded.

"Like the brother I never had," he said.

Felicia slowly began to understand why Tarik had such an icy shell; if his best friend did such a horrible thing to his daughter, he couldn't trust anyone.

"I'm not exactly a textbook example of a friend but if you're on my team, you can expect me to follow every single order to the syllable without question," she said.

Tarik turned to her before closing his eyes.

"I'm not going to betray mission, least of all you," she added.

Tarik eyed her for a few seconds and nodded.

"Get some rest," he said.

The Irish hothead turned to leave.

"Thank you,"

She turned to see him casting her a slight smile and couldn't help but allow herself to mimic his gesture. After leaving, Diane entered the room.

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here to ok?" she said.

The captain nodded and Cole peeked his head through the doorway.

"Got your back for anything captain!" he said.  
"I appreciate it...all of you but we need to focus on the mission, not me," he said.

The two soldiers nodded in respect before Tarik suddenly had a change in heart.

"Let's get up early, lunch is on me," said Tarik.

Diane and Cole smiled at his words before nodding a final time and leaving him alone. Tarik turned off the light and allowed his head to droop. Felicia's words brought painful memories back and he couldn't help but allow a few tears to fall from his eyes.

_"I'm sorry Alice...I never meant to get you involved...my anger was too great,"_

He didn't sleep much that night but he could safely say that it was the best sleep he'd gotten in years.

* * *

**(A/N): Alright now time for that long author's note I mentioned before.**

**I'm sure many of you have abandoned this story because it's been a while since I've updated but I assure you that this story is probably on my top priority list. A lot of you may wonder why so long and I can tell you that for the first month, it was for a reason to make the story more realistic.**

**As some of you know, I'm Jamaican and I live in Jamaica so naturally, I wanted to find a realistic place for the survivors to hole up. So as a result I went out and researched and finally settled on using The University Of The West Indies as a base. I took some time to explore the entire campus and I managed to get a lot written thanks to it. After that month though, I lost inspiration due to personal issues (something that rhymes with cartbreak).**

**Then when I started SPARTAN IVs: The Untold Missions, tradgedy struck and took the dog I raised from birth to February of this year. I had her for 14 years, more than half my life and that really put me under. To make matters worse, a second dog perished as well to heartworm, putting me even deeper. I'm able to write again but I won't be consistent due to having exams.**

**I'm sorry for the lack of updates guys but I promise you that I haven't not given up on any of my stories and I certainly haven't given up on any of you. I appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy my continued endeavours.**

**Wandering Letters**

**P.S: Shout out to Ghost and zipscool who've been rather good friends during my hard times.**


	40. Painful Memories

**(A/N): Hello readers! Exams are finally done so now I'm happy to report that you can expect to see a lot more of me in the coming weeks. It's part of why I've been on that hiatus but I assure you that I'm going to be VERY active here in the next few weeks. I'm most definitely going to be focusing on this story because I spent most of my down time writing how this one will go!**

**I'll try to post up all the character info as well so for those of you who sent me the Umbrella Strike Team Sheets, do me a favor and resend em to me in a PM (it was really weird and emptied a lot of my inbox so I don't have one or two of them any longer). Oh and tell me if you guys mind the chapter title being done a bit differently; I wanted to try something new. If you guys like it, let me know so I can adapt it to all the chapters!**

**Anyway, let's get back to the action shall we?**

* * *

**Painful Memories**

* * *

**Two Years Ago- Tarik's Apartment**

"Dinner's ready!"

Loud shuffling accompanied her frenzied pace to the dinner table as Selina smiled at her father.

"I didn't think an apron would look good on you buddy," said Ernie.  
"Can it Ernie," said Tarik rolling his eyes.

Ernie snickered to himself as he sat around the table. Selina patiently waited for her father to sit.

"So who's saying grace this time?" asked Ernie.  
"I will," said Selina.

Tarik smiled at her as he held her hand and Ernie's as she prayed for the table. Tarik wasn't exactly one who believed in God but he respected his daughter's beliefs and allowed the tradition to keep anytime they had dinner. After several minutes they began to eat. Conversation ranged from work to Selina's home schooling by her father and how well she was doing in it. Ernie found out about Selina roughly two weeks after she first arrived at Tarik's home and immediately accepted her as part of his family, going out of his way to take care of her whenever Tarik couldn't due to work. Selina had even grown to call him "Uncle Ernie".

"Alright I'll wash up," said Tarik.  
"I'll do it this time daddy," said Selina.

Much to Tarik's surprise, the girl picked up all the plates and carried them into the kitchen.

"She's just like her old man...kind and helpful but stubborn as a mule," said Ernie.

Tarik playfully punched Ernie in the shoulder.

"So what's been going on with work mate? Things seem to have gotten hectic as of late," said Ernie.  
"I'd rather not talk about that...I don't want my daughter to know what I do for a living," said Tarik.

Ernie nodded at his request. After several minutes, a plate fell and shattered.

"Selina?" said Tarik.

He dashed into the kitchen to see Selina on the floor, cringing in pain as she gripped her ribs. She began to scream and Tarik's mood instantly shifted from relaxed to worried.

"What the hell is happening to her!" said Tarik.  
"I'll get an ambulance," said Ernie.

Tarik grabbed Ernie's hand in a millisecond.

"They can't know about her Ernie; it's illegal," said Tarik.

Ernie cursed under his breath.

"I'll call Velks...he'll have some medical experts," said Tarik.

He quickly pulled out his cellphone and called his boss.

_"Captain Cervell! How pleasant to hear from you,"_ he said.  
"I need some help...my daughter is in some intense pain and I have no idea what's going on," said Tarik.

A short pause followed before Velks finally spoke up.

_"Bring her to the gas station outpost near your location; Berkley is there and he'd be the best person to ask for things of this nature,"_ said Velks.

Tarik thanked him before quickly lifting his daughter into his arms.

"Drive," said Tarik.

Ernie nodded as they sped out the door and into Tarik's Audi. Within minutes, they arrived at the outpost where surely enough, Berkley was waiting for them.

"What's going on?" asked Berkley.  
"She's in pain...I have no clue why because she hasn't been sick or injured in any way," said Tarik.  
"Get her into the base," said Berkley.

Tarik looked into the retina scanner hidden behind a slot in the gas pump and upon authorization, the door opened. He carried his daughter inside after instructing Ernie to never speak about the location of this outpost for his own good. He placed her on the examination table where Berkley was ready with every test he could think of.

"I'll do everything I can," said Berkley.  
"She'll be okay right?" said Tarik.

The worry in the young captain's tone made even Ernie feel his pain.

"I won't let anything happen to her," said Berkley.

* * *

**Winchester Hotel- Pruinato**

"Captain?!"

Diane watched helplessly as Tarik tossed, turned and groaned in his restless sleep. With Cole out like a light and a heavier sleeper than Snorlax himself in addition to Felicia making it a habit of sleeping with earplugs, Diane was the only person who was awakened by his cries and grunts. She had no idea what to do but watch as he continued to make her worry. Instinctively, she sat beside him though she had no idea how he would react to seeing her in his bed.

"Captain! Wake up! You're dreaming!" she said.

She shoved him slightly in an attempt to wake him from what was likely a terrifying nightmare and succeeded in doing so only that she found herself pinned to the bed with a gun being produced out of seemingly nowhere and pressed to her neck. Tarik opened his eyes and gazed in horror at what he had done.

"I...I'm sorry," he gasped.

He withdrew his weapon, stashing it underneath his pillow before turning away and wiping off the tremendous amount of sweat on his face. He panted heavily and his eyes for the very first time didn't give off their usual cold aura but instead made him seem extremely vulnerable. Tarik's reputation made it almost impossible to believe that he could be this panicked and worried. She reached for a bottled water in the fridge and handed it to him. He looked at her for a moment before gratefully accepting it, gulping it down as if he hadn't had a drink in weeks.

"You're still dreaming about Selina aren't you?" she asked.

The captain nodded his head, rubbing his red eyes and dropping back into his bed.

"When was the last time you got restful sleep?" she asked.  
"I can't remember..." he replied.

His voice was no longer the smooth and calm voice Diane had grown used to and was instead replaced by a weak and vulnerable one. She would've never thought that he was capable of being so emotionally distraught, especially considering how he used to act to the team only one week ago. Ever since the morning in Florida when Tarik made good on his promise to take them to breakfast, the team had grown to somewhat like him. There were no employees but Tarik took it upon himself to make all the food, once again reiterating that breakfast was on him. After that gesture of kindness, Felicia seemed to have gained a lot of respect for him. Cole already held the man in high regard and discovering that he was a good cook only added to his already great opinion of him. Diane however was different than them both.

To her, he was everything she wanted to be as a soldier and much more. Even from the first day she met him and was asked to be a part of the team, she knew she would've accepted no matter what but not just simply for just the pay; she liked the idea of being able to be useful to the place she worked at for once. Despite having such a good reputation as a medic, she always had a feeling that she could do something more but could never figure out how to until now. Finishing this mission would stomp out Neo-Umbrella's biggest enemy and liability and with Berkley out of the picture, there may be a chance that they would never have to work as mercenaries or killers ever again.

"Captain...can I ask you something personal?" she asked.  
"I won't promise an answer," he replied.

She snickered to herself; the cold persona already reappeared despite his emotional breakdown only moments ago.

"May I ask...what Selina was like?" she asked.

The captain was silent for a few moments. Those moments felt like weeks in the very tense air surrounding the both of them but finally, he took an audible breath.

"She reminds me a lot of myself before I started working for Umbrella," he replied.  
"How so?" asked Diane.

He turned to face her.

"I wasn't always like this...I used to be the opposite," he replied.

Diane muffled a laugh and much to her surprise, he smiled at her.

"I named her after my mother...and in many ways she was like a mother to me," he continued.  
"She kept you on a leash and in check didn't she?" she asked.

Tarik laughed softly.

"She gave me a reason to look forward to coming home and she gave me something to work for apart from myself," he replied.  
"And I bet you couldn't bring any ladies home could you?" she asked.

Tarik laughed again.

"I haven't looked for any in a very long time, not since high school I believe," he replied.

Diane looked at him with total disbelief.

"You didn't date anyone in all this time?!" she asked.  
"Never once in my life; I didn't have time for it," he replied.  
"Handsome guy like you couldn't reel in even one?" she asked.  
"I could say the same for you," he said.

His tone was bluntly honest and Diane couldn't help but feel heat build up in her cheeks at his compliment.

"Then again...you've got a reputation as someone whose elevator doesn't go all the way up," he said shrugging.

Diane shook her head and they both shared a soft fit of laughter.

"Straying away from all the fun...what's the plan for Berkley?" asked Diane.

Tarik closed his eyes for several moments before letting out a breath.

"He's one of the smartest people I've ever met; he's not going to leave a trail at all," said Tarik.

Diane looked at him in disbelief and felt half tempted to chew him out for taking them on what seemed to be a wild goose chase.

"It's a good thing I know how he is and that he loves to think outside the box," said Tarik with a confident smile.

He removed a world map from his bag and spread it out on the bed.

"Get Cole and Felicia up," he said.

Diane nodded and obeyed him and soon the entire team was gathered around the large map. Much of the map was coloured in with red marker to represent which parts of the world were lost to the virus.

"There's no way that Berkley would stay in the United States; he knows that there's only two logical places that we would search for him and after going through Pruinato and Destrite, there's no way he would remain in America," he explained.  
"You think he's hiding on an island then?" asked Cole.  
"It'd be a hell of a lot places to look in that case," said Felicia.

Tarik shook his head.

"He doesn't have the kind of fuel to make it to Europe or Asia and considering that he had to leave from Destrite, it could only mean he's on a Caribbean island," said Tarik.  
"What makes you so sure that he wouldn't be able to hide in another state?" asked Diane.  
"The majority of the population is infected and in order for him to research a vaccine or cure, he'll need a place that's quiet where he doesn't feel as if he's in any true danger," said Tarik.

He pointed to several of the islands.

"Our databases show that a lot of the Caribbean has fallen to the virus and there's only about five of them with any true human life," said Tarik.  
"Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic..." said Cole putting a finger to his chin.

Tarik nodded.

"I don't know which of the islands he's on but I do know the locations of all the medical facilities which could be his ideal research lab," said Tarik.

Felicia pointed to Cuba.

"I think we should start in Cuba; we all know the level of doctors they used to pump out," she said.

The team nodded in agreement.

"Cuba has the best medical facilities in all of the Caribbean and even though it'd be the most obvious place, desperation clouds logic more often than not," said Tarik.

He rolled up the map.

"Get some rest, we're moving to Cuba tomorrow," he said.

* * *

**Meanwhile- University Of The West Indies- Science Labs**

"Administering Compound LIFE-78A5 on live human host," said Berkley.

He injected the needle into the arm of a captured zombie. The creature snarled and tried in a completely futile effort to rip Berkley's face off. Travis looked at it with complete disgust.

"Do we really need to keep this thing here?" he asked.  
"There's no way of knowing it's a cure if we test it on non-living organisms so yes, it's quite necessary," said Berkley.

He pressed the stop button on the video camera and sat beside Travis.

"You've been at this night and day for the past two weeks, don't you think you should take a break?" asked Travis.  
"Without my research, there's no hope for this sorry excuse for a planet," said Berkley.

Travis nodded in agreement.

"If I can somehow figure out a way to neutralize the virus, I may not be able to stop a thoroughly mutated specimen but I may be able to cure one who has not evolved too heavily past the zombie stage," said Berkley.  
"Meaning if they got bit and it's applied right after, they'll be cured?" asked Travis.

Berkley nodded as he kept his eyes on the zombie.

"This is about the 42nd compound I've tried and thus far all of them have had absolutely no effect on the host," said Berkley.

He wiped his face.

_"I need to hurry...if Tarik's on the hunt for me it won't be very long until he figures out where we are..."_

After waiting the interval of 20 minutes, Berkley once again cursed at no results from his experiments. Travis put a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll get it man...just gotta figure everything out," he said.  
"Easy for you to say," replied Berkley.

Travis rolled his eyes.

"Same thing for lunch?" he asked.

Berkley nodded as Travis left the room. Berkley grasped the chance to look at a picture in his wallet.

_"I miss you...so much...one day I'm going to rule over them all and then no one can take anything precious from me ever again,"_

* * *

**Outside Taylor Hall- University Of The West Indies**

"Your goal is to hit the bottles within three or less shots," said Daniel.

He paced in front of his students, namely Sera, Olivia, Kai, Samantha and Shia.

"If you can manage that then maybe...just **maybe** I'll consider you a good shot," he said with a snicker.

Sera rolled her eyes before holding the pistol in the correct stance which Daniel ever so..._thoroughly_ showed her.

"Begin!" he said.

Loud gunshots followed almost in a simultaneous volley and only one bottle shattered: Shia's.

"Goddamn girl!" he said in amazement.

Shia smiled as she handed the gun to Daniel.

"Guess we know who's our best shot here," he said.

She smiled.

"He taught me well," she said as she looked towards Takeda.

Daniel turned to see him with Jessica at their "rifle range". Though Takeda knew how to fire a pistol quite well, Jessica took it upon herself to teach him how to use a rifle because for many of the infected they've faced since arriving to Jamaica, the majority of them required much more than a pistol to take down.

"Don't worry about him; sis is taking good care of him," said Daniel.

Shia nodded.

"Come on ladies, you can do it!" said Daniel.

Another volley fired, this time Olivia was the one to destroy the bottle. A third volley followed and all except Sera managed to take their bottle. Sera sighed in annoyance.

"Didn't sleep very well last night did you?" asked Sam.  
"It's hard to sleep with all these damn mosquitoes around," said Sera disdainfully.

Daniel nodded in agreement.

"I swear to god they're big enough to have their own health bars..." said Daniel.

Sam muffled a laugh that soon spread to everyone within earshot and soon, the group shared a fit of laughter.

"Now then...I'm hungry, who's up for lunch?" asked Daniel.  
"Are you gonna cook those steaks again? If so...count me out cause I'm not waiting four hours for it," said Kai.

Daniel rolled his eyes at her comment.

* * *

**The Rifle Range**

"You need to hold it steady...you're more shaky than a senior citizen," said Jessica.

Takeda rolled his eyes.

"I'm not exactly perfect...especially considering I didn't even ask you to teach me how to shoot this thing," he said as a matter of factly.

Jessica flicked him in the forehead.

"If you think for one second that I'm gonna let you walk around with just a pistol, especially since you tend to go hero more than Ben 10 himself, you've got another thing coming," she said.

Takeda smiled at her.

"If it'll put your mind at ease, put up the can again," he said.

His smooth and willing tone seemed to completely diffuse her annoyance of him as she placed the can on the stand once again.

"Look straight down the barrel and hold it steady before holding your breath for the shot," she said.

Takeda nodded and obeyed her, sucking in a breath before exhaling very slowly as he pulled the trigger, successfully striking the can off the stand for the second time of the day.

"You're learning quickly," she said with a smile.  
"I have the best teacher," he replied.

She blushed at his compliment before flicking him in the head.

"Cut it out! I don't want everyone to see us like this..." she whispered.  
"What's the point of hiding it any longer? Half of them know already," he said.

He definitely had a point there.

"You...don't have a problem with it?" she asked.  
"I've never had a problem with it," he replied.

Jessica shook her head briefly.

"I support any and every decision you want to make...I may have an issue with it and try to advise you otherwise but ultimately, I'll support you with whatever you decide to do," he said.

The usual honesty from his words gave her a feeling of relief; she was glad that he wasn't the kind of man who wants things done his way and no other. She looked down for a moment and to her surprise, Takeda took a deep breath.

"I suppose now would be the best time to tell you what happened between me and Sam," he said.

Jessica looked at him in great interest.

"There was that time when I went to the food locker on board the plane and Sam found me there...we talked about things and she...let me know how she feels about me," he said.  
"What do you mean by that?" she asked.  
"She kissed me...but she had no idea what you and I were doing," he replied.

Jessica knew that Takeda wasn't the kind of person to willingly allow something like that to happen and she could only conclude that Sam took him by surprise.

"She is the only other woman I'd entrust to you...she's taken good care of us all," she said.

Takeda's eye widened in astonishment; he half expected Jessica to walk right up to Sam and take out her front row of teeth.

"You're not angry at her?" he asked.  
"We live in a world where dead people walk the earth and mutations aren't just in X-Men...people get emotional and I don't think the rules of relationships apply when people are losing their minds," she said.

Takeda looked away but she turned his face back to her.

"I understand her...you're quite hard to resist despite how stupid you are," she said with a smile.

Takeda rolled his eyes.

"Without Jonah to cheer her up she's gotten even worse...I hope she can handle it," said Takeda.

Jessica could hear the amount of concern from his mouth.

"I'll keep an eye on her," she said.  
"Thanks...I just don't want any of us to lose it when we're so close to our goal of finding a cure," said Takeda.  
"Agreed," said Jessica.

They returned to their practice.

* * *

**Inside Taylor Hall- The Gym**

Warren continued his merciless assault on the punching bag, being careful not to pummel it hard enough to show his superhuman strength. One skillful blow after another, he continued to practice but in his mind, he was truly beginning to wonder what Berkley was doing in the labs. He knew that Berkley wasn't the kind of man who would simply give a cure to a virus that has all but decimated mankind and always had an ulterior motive to his actions. He stopped to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.

"Someone's taking things a little seriously,"

He turned to see Shia walking towards him.

"Shouldn't you be learning how to shoot a gun?" he asked.  
"Apparently I'm the best shot out of all of them," said Shia with a shrug.  
"I'm surprised you've learned that fast," said Warren.  
"I've had a lot of practice," she replied.

She sat down beside him.

"You seem troubled...is everything ok?" she asked.  
"I'm just trying to understand what Berkley is trying to do," said Warren.  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
"Berkley isn't the kind of man who does things out of the kindness of his heart...he always has some kind of ulterior motive which is something I've learned about him in all my time with him," said Warren.

Shia nodded.

"You think it's something bad?" she asked.  
"Berkley has a very bad God complex...if you know what that is," said Warren.

Shia nodded in comprehension.

"I'll put him in his place if he tries anything rash," said Warren.

Shia smiled at him.

"I know you will," she replied.

Warren looked at her before handing her a pair of gloves.

"Let's see how hard you can beat this bag," he said with a smile.

* * *

**The Following Morning- Neo Umbrella Headquarters- President Velks's Office**

"Captain Cervell's team left this morning heading for what seems to be the Caribbean,"

Velks put a hand on his chin before smiling.

"Is the subject ready for testing?" he asked.  
"Yes sir,"

He turned around with the same wicked smile on his face.

"Then we needn't worry about him; so long as he believes she's fine he will be loyal to us," said Velks.  
"Sir...I've never heard the entire story about this girl and him...could I ask for the entire story?"

The president smiled and gestured for the woman to sit in the chair in front of him.

"We found the girl when she was roughly 6 years old on the street unconscious," said Velks.

He then clicked a pen, causing a hologram to appear on his desk.

"This girl possessed extraordinary resistance to disease and as such, we decided she would be the perfect test subject to experiment our viruses on, especially since she seemingly had no parents or loved ones to care for her considering her mother died at birth," said Velks.  
"Where does Captain Cervell fit into this?"  
"Before he joined our organization, he donated sperm to a bank to pay for college expenses and I am sure that he is the very reason why she has such a powerful immune system," replied Velks.

He clicked again, this time causing the hologram to show what appeared to be results.

"As we predicted, the girl's immune system was tremendously resilient to everything we threw at her and I had to assign Berkley, our greatest scientific mind to find a strain of the virus that could bond to her because once we accomplished that hurdle, we would be able to sell the virus to armies in order to create supersoldiers without side effects like mutation," said Velks.  
"And Berkley did this?"  
"I did not inform him of the girl's origins because I knew he'd be too sentimental considering that Tarik used to be his closest friend," said Velks.

The woman rubbed her chin.

"The girl was released once Berkley successfully bonded the current strain of the virus and that is how she happened upon her father...we however did not forsee the side effect that occurred which was pain beyond the likes of any imagination," said Velks.  
"Which is what you're solving now?"

Velks nodded.

"We are not solving this problem for the reason of ridding her of her pain but rather to perfect the virus because if this is the case, we will be able to adapt it to suit those with weaker immune systems which greatly lessens the chance of mutation into the BOWs that now currently roam the planet," said Velks.  
"What will you do with the girl if he is successful?"  
"I will stay true to my word and allow him to take her home; Tarik has been an excellent asset to this effort and deserves to live his life with the only thing that means something to him," said Velks.  
"Which is where I come in?"

Velks rose to his feet before taking her hand and kissing it.

"It is your job to ensure that Berkley's research is recovered and not destroyed and now I have a new requirement of you," he began.  
"And what is that?"

Velks's face turned from relaxed and calm to sinister.

"Kill the team should they try to destroy all of the research," he said.

The woman looked at him in slight disbelief but nodded.

"Recover all of his research and kill the team should they attempt to destroy it but only if they do," said Velks.  
"Yes sir," she replied.

She turned to leave.

"Oh and sir?" she said.  
"Yes?" he replied.  
"My payment has already been arranged correct?" she asked.

Velks smiled.

"Indeed it has...Miss Ada Wong,"


End file.
